On Mon, Dec 20, 1999 at 12:28:49PM -0800, Ralph Brown wrote:
> I am learning how to install applications that i have
> downloaded from FTP sites and such. I tried to install an
> application with tar.gz extension, and figured out that i
> had to unzip it.
> when i did, i still could not install it using the Kpackage manager...
> I know this is not a KDE list..is there a standard way i
> can install an application from terminal mode?
the tar.gz extenstension is kind of like a zip file on a DOS or windows
system. the tar part is basically a directory, and the gz part is compression.
If you're on a Slackware box, there's a tool for installing tar.gz files as
well as tgz (which is another name for the same thing). On slackware tar.gz
is the standard packaging system. however,I think I saw something in your
signature that said caldera. I believe they use rpm as their packinging format.
rpm's are better than tgz's usually, because the rpm format contains some
information about dependecies.. for instance, if you wanted to install a kde
application, it would make sure that you had the Xwindow system installed..
you'll probably want to use rpm's, and you can usually find rpms. Oh
also rpm keeps track of what ou have installed and makes it eaiser to remove
stuff later.
There is a utility called alien that will let you convert packages from
tgz or tar.gz to rpm, and also to and from slp and deb, which are packaging
formats for two other dfiistributions. It can be found at:
ftp://rpmfind.net/linux/SuSE-Linux/i386/6.1/suse/ap1/alien.rpm
and while it is designed for Suse, I believe that it should install
ok.
hope this helps
greg
--
this is not here
