BC-Axeman

I think you just started out on the wrong foot. If you need any library or package then it should get installed automagically. If you are installing something you want but is not necessary and it needs other packages then those get pulled in auotmagically. You just have to use the package manager. This is "apt" in a debian system. "synaptic" is the gui front end for apt. There are others. It really is very easy and powerful. If you are installing something nonstandard you might search the web for a ".deb" package of the program. That makes it itegrate with the system wwithout you habing to do anything.
I can't understand why Windows has such a buggy and broken install system and why they have such a nonstandard way of setting up things. All *nix are much the same and have been that way before Windows could even run on a network. Once you get used to it you have to wonder why Windows makes everything so complicated and hidden. I have to give credit to MS as they have been adopting many *nix ways of doing things.