> I get emails from my brother that sometimes contain attachments that are
> .doc files. Can I execute these files under linux and what app should I
> use? I am running deb unstable at the moment but am not afraid to
> compile if what I need is not available using apt.

First you should educate your brother why the .doc format is bad to use
and why he should use something else. [1]  Then you should encourage him
to use rich text format.  You can use Open Office or Abiword to open RTF
or DOC files.  Open Office is more bloated but is better at doing so.

apt-get install openoffice.org
or
apt-get install abiword

You should not have to compile anything.

-Derek

[1] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html