to install a .RPM you can go into a console and then type 'rpm -Uvh program.rpm' Uvh is for upgrade (which will install it, but looks to check if there is an earlier version), verbose which gives you more info, hash marks marking the progress of install.
That will install the .RPM for you.
a .tar.qz or .tgz are gzipped archives, to install:
1.cd to directory where you want to have it.
2. 'tar zxvf /path/to/program.tar.gz'
3. cd to ./program ( '.' means current directory)
4. less INSTALL and less README (less is a program for viewing files like the README or INSTALL file if there is one)
5. ./configure or /path/to/program/configure (runs the program configure)
6. make (compiles some stuff)
7. make install (compiles the program)
thats it.
if its just .tar then do exactly the same as above but change the tar zxvf /path/to/program to 'tar xvf /path/to/program.
the 'z' is for automatically running the gunzip program to change it from .tar.gz to just .tar, you could also do this by doind 'gunzip program.tar.gz' and that will make it program.tar.
if its a .bin binary file then all you do is '/path/to/program.bin' and it will do the rest.
if its a .sh then do 'sh program.sh'
if it doesnt have an extension then try chmodding to change the permissions so it can be executed:
chmod +x program
then try running the program:
./program or /path/to/program
remember that to run a program it isnt relative links so you have to include the path such as:
./program or /path/to/program
[ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: Master of Reality / Bob ]