On Mon, 16 Aug 1999, Federico Zurro wrote:
>I'm really new with Linux so Can you please help me ????.
...
>How do I install the .rpm files ?.
>How do I install the .tgz files ?.
>
>Another file I want to install is:
>kmp3-0_2_2_tar.gz
>How do I install this one ??.
Since this stuff is new to you, I thought I'd offer a little explanation:
All three of these file name extensions indicate that the named files are
archive files, very similar to a .zip file commonly seen in DOS/Windows.
These files usually consist of multiple files bundled together as one for
convenience in handling. They are also usually compressed to facilitate
more efficient storage and transport on the net and distribution media.
- A .rpm file (Redhat Package Manager) is an archive file which contains
explicit information about where all the files contained will reside on
the system. I.e., the destination directory names are stored in the
archive and used to determine where each file will be installed on the
destination system. Rpm files are created and manipulated using the rpm
utility.
- A .tar.gz file is a file is an older format archive file. They are
created and manipulated with the 'tar' utility, which is standard on
almost all unix-like OS's. After being "tarred" it was then compressed
via the "gzip" utility. One can either 1) use "gunzip" to uncompress,
then 2) tar -x <filename.tar>, or if you have GNU tar, do it in one step
"tar -xz <filename.tar> which will automate the above 2 step process. Tar
files contain directory information only for files which will reside in
subdirectory "under" the parent directory. Hence if I have a two files in
myfile.tar.g, file1 and subdir/file2, executing "tar -xz myfile.tar.gz"
will place file1 into the current working directory and will create
"subdir/file2" under the current working directory.
- A .tgz file is a .tar.gz with a shortened name.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
John Karns [EMAIL PROTECTED]
