Problems as newbie

[Bob]

Hello All!
I'm very new to Ubunyu/Linux and would appreciate any/all help with the
following.

1.  I really have no use for the Open Office Suite but it was installed without
giving me any choice. I have gone to the ADD/REMOVE of applications and did the
remove bit. The suite is now gone from the desktop but I don't know if it is
actually gone from my HDD, Is it?

2.  I would like to install Lyx as my word proc but I can't figure out how to
install it after the download. 

3.  One of my reasons for trying Ubuntu is that I would like to be able to
decode .wmv, .pph and some other Widows stuff that contacts insist on sending
me via e-mail, so far all I've been able to find out is that it's against linux
policy to supple the needed codecs. Is this fact or fiction?

4.  Evolution mail is too much lile Microsoft's Outlook Express for my likeing
so how do I get rid of it without disableing all of the other features, or is
there a better bunch of apps to do the job?

5.  Is there a good file control/manipulation app available that works in the
GUI. I can work reasonably well from the command prompt in OS/2 but haven't a
clue as to Linux command strcture?

Sorry for such a long post but I'm getting frustrated.

Best regards.

Bob

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where am I going - - - - - - - - - and why am I in this handbasket
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