Linux newbie and device drivers

I can’t seem to locate any guidance on installing device drivers. I am adding an Adaptec 29160 card to a 7.2 server so I can attach a tape drive to my SAMBA server. I have the patch file from the Adaptec web site but can’t find out how to use it/load it/upgrade what’s there. I love how SAMBA works but the super techie aspect of Linux is killing me. Stuff that should take no time I look for 3 hours trying to find answers to. Can anyone point me to some information on the web to see how to do this? Thanks.