On Mon, 6 Dec 1999, Jonathan Jackson wrote:
> This probably sounds a little weird, but I'm just starting Linux...
Not weird at all.
> Q: How do I install files I downloaded??
Well, if you install an rpm program then you can install it by typing at
the command line:
rpm -ivh <filename>
For example:
rpm -ivh xmms-0.9.1-6mdk.i586.rpm
(That's the xmms package on the Mandrake 6.1 CD.)
Another way you can install RPM's is to run kpackage and GnoRPM, and then
you have a user-friendly graphical environment to install and uninstall
rpm packages in.
Now, if you download source code in the form of a tar.gz file, things get
a little more complicated. (A tar.gz extension on a file means that the
files were archived (i.e. many files put into one file) with tar and then
compressed with gzip. It's used as often in Linux as zip is in Windows.)
First, uncompress and unarchive a tar.gz file, you would type this:
tar zxvf <filename>
For example:
tar xzvf xfce-3.2.1.tar.gz
That would extract my copy of XFce.
Usually what's going to happen when you extract something in that manner,
is it will create its own directory under the directory you're in and
extract all your files there. (You can use tar tzvf instead of tar xzvf
to see a list of the files and where they go.) I would strongly suggest
picking one directory specifically for extracting programs from, so you
keep your source code organized under one directory. Personally, I like
using /usr/local/src for that purpose.
Now, once you've extracted the files with tar xzvf, switch to the
directory that was created. Assuming you have the source code of a
program, you probably also have either a text file called INSTALL, a text
file called README, or both. READ THOSE. One or both of those files will
contain information about the program you just extracted, and the commands
you need to use to compile and install the program.
You'll USUALLY have to use these three commands:
./configure
make
make install
And the make install will have to be run as root. (You'll have to be root
if you untar the file in /usr/local/src, too.) Definitely read the README
and/or INSTALL though as sometimes there are variations on the commands
you use.
If you found the stuff concerning tar.gz files confusing (it's not as
complex as it looks from this E-mail--I'm just very wordy!!), then try to
stick with only downloading programs that come in RPM form until you get a
little more comfortable with Linux. I strongly suggest making a point of
becoming comfortable enough to handle untarring and compiling source code,
though. It's like most things in life in that it's scary the first couple
times you try it but then it's easy afterward. :)
-Tom
