[Techtalk] really basic debian question

[mgmonza at sdf.lonestar.org]

Hello, all,

My first question is -really- basic - is it acceptable to post basic 
debian questions here?  If not, how about debian-woman?  I swear, I 
started three times to post there, then chickened out.

If here's okay, my question is: how do I install a package in debian if 
there is not debian pkg for it?  That's the embarassing part - I remember 
doing a makefile a year or so ago, but cannot remember the basics now. 
I'm trying to use sshfs to attach the Unix servers here to my beautiful 
debian desktop, and the apt-get install for that worked great, but then 
there was no fuse. The fuse documentation seems to assume one must 
recompile the kernel?  Or can just the fuse module be installed?

I hope this isn't too confused.  If I should be posting this elsewhere, 
please let me know.

Thanks -

Kathleen