Help! I'm an idiot (posted this as "a shout" like an idiot)...

[Elswood]

I am completely new to kubuntu; installed the latest breezy badger (to get a 
divorce from Windows); and am having the common problem of getting sound from 
CD drive (although it plays) and DVD drive. I have searched the forums and 
have discovered that I need certain windows codexs to get my sound to work. 
Tried to download them (to no avail) and even attempted to download Kubuntu 
Automatix from instructions in these forums. (The first sudo worked, but the 
first wget just hung!) Could somebody explain to a complete idiot how to get 
his sound working? (Pentium 4 Dell Dimension 4300 with 64MB NIVIDA GeForce MX 
graphics card with TV-Out) What I read about the Automatix program (it being 
so slick and easy and all) is what I need since, in addition to being brand 
new to Kubuntu, I am a complete computer idiot! (Be kind, be gentle, walk me 
through it like you would a little child, ppleease...)