getting started.. I am lost, wheres the front door?

edit

I have Ubuntu 11.10 and I have unpacked the tar package in my Desktop directory. I have to say, I am a bit amiss with getting any of the samples to compile or run.

I did get them to compile.. their executibles are over in /release bin/

but when ever I try to run them I get ILLEGAL_OPERATION or something of the like.

VENT: I think the biggest problem that I have IN GENERAL, is that when I try to do development on open source or Linux, the developer's do not really make things very clear for beginners where to start and what steps are absolutely necessary to get things working. There are allot of assumptions it seems. In general this is my experience with all things Linux in regards to trying to use unfamiliar open source projects.

If someone has comprehensive directions as to how to compile and Execute the samples and also the correct way... where to put the source that I may write, how to compile and get it to link and then how to execute it. There are allot of great examples that I very much want to try.. for instance I want to just capture video from a camera.. and there is a small example on how to do it... but for the life of me I can't get it off the ground in terms of compiling..

I am lost (this is normal)