could anybody be so kind and give step by step instruction on how to get 4.2.2 working on linux (ubuntu)?
From reading the first post in this thread, you learn you have to do this:
Go here:
http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/If you have 32-bit Ubuntu, download the file cgminer-4.2.2.tar.bz2.
If you have 64-bit Ubuntu, download the file cgminer-4.2.2-x86_64-built.tar.bz2
Either way, unzip the file you downloaded. Then run the executable you just unzipped, follow the prompts to set up your first pool, plug in your devices, and poof, you're mining. (I also suggest, after you configure your pool and other settings, that you save a config file using the in-program menus and prompts.)
For anything more specific than that, you'll have to ask a clearer question.