[plug] Linux Drivers

[Brock Woolf]

These days i've managed to grasp a lot of Linux terms and ways of doing
things, however, the thing I don't know about is Drivers on Linux

I have read articles on updating your Nvidia drivers by running your
nvidia123.x86.sh file in command line without X running then changing
your Xfree file line from "nv" to "nvidia" intermediate at most, but how
would you install a sound card driver for example??
Can Linux drivers be installed as a plugin, as in Windows Drivers? Such
as getting a Creative_Vibra128snd.rpm file and simply installing it?
Or do you have to re-compile your Kernel? which I have never done and
think may be dangerous as i could render my system useless.
Can anyone shed some light on this?