Linux has RPMs (originally Red Hat Package Manager, abbreviated RPM) which are packages that contain the installation/removal instructions of applications across many Linux distributions. Some are pre-installed on Linux and many can be downloaded. Some application are dependent of certain RPMs being installed. It can be difficult when trying to explorer what's in which RPM and gather details. http://rpm.pbone.net is an excellent resource which which provides summary and descriptions of many RPMs. As I use Centos here's the link directly to the Centos RPM information.

Enjoy
Ryan Partington