Stop Microsoft
Operating Systems => Linux and UNIX => Topic started by: Unforgiven1 on 9 August 2003, 04:35
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I'm a complete Linux Newbie...fresh out of windows, and I'm still adjusting to the change.
I run Redhat 9, and I've downloaded several linux versions of programs I like...but haven't a clue how to install them.
so could someone walk me through the standard (or most common) method for installing a new program I downloaded off the net? and tell me a good place to find more available for download (like downloads.com..only for linux)
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Hi again Unforgiven1. I'm sure there are more qualified people to answer this, but... well.. I'm here first :D
Since you're on Redhat, the easiest way is to install whatever program you want as an RPM (I'm pretty sure that stands for "Redhat Package Manager"). Usually you can just double click on the file, enter your root password, click "forward" or "next" or whatever and you're done. That's only if they provide RPM files, though.
Another way I've seen a lot is groups of files packaged together in a single compressed file, like .tar or .tar.gz or .tar.bz or... something.. (there's a bunch of them). A lot of times for those you can just extract the files and the run an included script (usually install.sh, I think). If it comes with one of those, it usually asks a few questions and then installs whatever it needs to automatically, from the rest of the stuff.
Problems that come up with RPM's are dependencies, where it will tell you it can't install the RPM until something else is installed. You can technically still force it to install, but it's not a good idea since it probably won't work right. You can solve those by searching online for whatever it says it needs and then installing that first. As for the other method, make sure you're root when you try to run the script and that the right permissions are set (sometimes they aren't set to be "executable," you have to do that first). I'm sure there are more ways to install stuff but I don't know much about them.
Oh, and where to get them! well, http://www.sourceforge.net (http://www.sourceforge.net) has a LOT of stuff listed, such as Gaim (a pretty nice IM program), but a lot of times you have to sort through inactive / "pipe-dreamy" projects to get to the good stuff. http://www.freshmeat.net (http://www.freshmeat.net) is a very good resource too. The linux.org application list ( http://www.linux.org/apps/index.html (http://www.linux.org/apps/index.html) ) has a ton... If you use KDE, theres a list of apps for KDE at http://apps.kde.com/rf/2/latest (http://apps.kde.com/rf/2/latest) And http://www.happypenguin.org/ (http://www.happypenguin.org/) has games, although don't expect anything of the level that you were asking about in the other thread ;)
downloads.com USED to have a Linux section... kind of bothers me that they took it down for no apparent reason, but, whatever....
Well, that's what I have to say (http://smile.gif)
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quote:
Originally posted by Dirk Gently:
downloads.com USED to have a Linux section... kind of bothers me that they took it down for no apparent reason, but, whatever....
They took it down because of the SCO vs. IBM/Linux thingy
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quote:
Originally posted by suselinux:
They took it down because of the SCO vs. IBM/Linux thingy
What?! But just because the... they haven't even... it's not... wow, that's pretty stupid! There's no reason at all, even if SCO won! Oh well, thanks for explaining.
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thanks for that dirk. I'm trying really hard to learn redhat and this place is very helpful. It seems like the RPM's are never included. :(
I was trying to install limewire earlier and it said I couldn't install it from the GUI (I use gnome) so how the hell should I do it form the CLI?
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open the shell console
type su (this stands for Super User otherwise refered to as Root) press enter
it will ask for a password type your root passwrd
then find where your Tar file is located Use the GUI, just find te icon, and remember the adress ie /home/unforgiven/downloads/limewire.tar.gz
now ine the shell console type cd(1 space here)/home (it will look like
linux:/home/user3 # cd /home)
now again type cd
but insted of typing /home after words type in the next part of the address so for /home/unforgiven/downloads/limewire.tar.gz
the next cd (stands for Change Directory) will be
unforgiven (no slash needed, unlike the "/home" you just typed)
linux:/home # cd unforgiven
if you notice the first word after Linux has changed from /home/user3 to just /home
this area of text shows you where are in the file system
now do the same untill you have full address after the word Linux
so for
/home/unforgiven/downloads/limewire.tar.gz
you should see
linux:/home/unforgiven/downloads #
notice that you are one short of the full address
you donot include the limewire.tar.gz
instead after the # you type ./limewire.tar.gz
the ./ tells the computer to exicute the tar file to run it
linux:/home/unforgiven/downloads #./limewire.tar.gz
some times you need to configure the file first
so unpack the tar easiest way put it on the desktop double click and it will ask you if you want to extract it click yes
now look for a config, or configure file
use the same method as before cd all the way to the desktop and then to the now extracted tar file
put ./config after the "#" and press enter
press enter
this should work if not look for files in the tar file that say filename.bin
that .bin means its is also an executable file except you just double click that one
also look for one that says "install" double click it
this should be a text file explaining how that particular file needs to be installed
or a readme file, or look for files inside of the tar and use them in the CLI like
linux:/home/unforgiven/downloads/limewire.tar.gz ./install.sh
If this is totally wrong I will apologize now other wise I hope it works for you
look here as well
web page (http://rtfm.dyndns.info/tips/2000/04/07/10.shtml)
really well explained here
web page (http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/softinstall.html)
Good Luck!
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wow this is real useful
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quote:
type su (this stands for Super User otherwise refered to as Root)
substitute user - you can su to any account; not just root.
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quote:
Originally posted by flap:
substitute user - you can su to any account; not just root.
i didnt even know that
why do i keep posting pointless posts???
oh yeah to pump up my post count
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quote:
Originally posted by flap:
substitute user - you can su to any account; not just root.
I hang my head in shame......
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quote:
but insted of typing /home after words type in the next part of the address so for /home/unforgiven/downloads/limewire.tar.gz
You can cd to a tgz ed directory? More importantly you can execute a .tgz directly? :confused:
If this doesn't work try tar -xvzf fullpathtocompressedprogram (where fullpathtocompressedprogram is /home/username/file.tgz or similar) for .tgz files. This will unpack it to a subdir of your current dir. Then cd to that dir and read the readme - usually make ; make install as root will install a zipped app from source. Or you could just click on a .tgz file from konqueror or whatever and have it opened in the compressor/decompressor. (I use ark)
For .rpm files at the cli do "rpm -i fullpathtoprogram" or something like that. Been a while since I used rpm so you may care to read rpm's manual... Again just clicking on it from konq should open it up in an rpm gui.
edit:
Please ignore this : "You can cd to a tgz ed directory?" Must RTFP. BTW you dont have to cd dir by dir -
ie instead of:
cd /home
cd unforgiven
cd downloads
you can do:
cd /home/unforgiven/downloads
[ August 09, 2003: Message edited by: Faust ]
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quote:
Originally posted by Fury: Freedom Fighter:
i didnt even know that
why do i keep posting pointless posts???
oh yeah to pump up my post count
You people should stop posting stuff to boost you post count . . . like I've been doing. But at least I have a question. There seem to be a bunch of different encodings, like GZip and BZip. And if I look at stuffit's DropTar they also have UNIX Compress and Stuffit for compression methods. What's the difference between them all?
[ August 09, 2003: Message edited by: M51DPS ]
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gzip | .gz files | basic, tgz still owns zip and rar | tar -x
bzip | .bz files | compresses a bit better than gzip | tar -j ?
unix compres | .Z files ? | not as good as gz / bz. don't use! | tar -nfi. man tar etcetera, but I know it works under Linux / BSD (duh...)
stuffit | sounds like the companies own method, considering the name. as such, probably non standard and crap. (http://smile.gif)
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it seems like as soon as I ask a question I figure it out by myself.
Limewire is .bin
here's how I did it.
su
root pw
cd home/unforgiven/
sh /LimeWireLinux.bin
it ran and then informed me I needed a Java Virtual Machine. where the hell do I get one of those?
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Sun Microsystems are the Java people, try their website, http://www.sun.com (http://www.sun.com) or http://www.java.com (http://www.java.com) . I always get the different java-related stuff confused (virtual machine... runtime environment... scripting language... blech), but this might work: http://www.java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp (http://www.java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp) (or it might not, but it's worth a shot :D )
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For RedHat you can install packages several ways.
For each of these
su -
<enter root pwd>
cd /to/wherever/the/files/are
(you can hit TAB to complete the pathname as you go or double-TAB for a list of possibles, e.g. typing cd /home/unfo then hitting TAB would complete the /home/unforgiven for you)
1) Ready-made RPM, choose one *built for your version of RedHat*, and either double-click the RPM file from the desktop or
rpm -ivh mynewapp.rpm
(= install, verbose, and show progress bar)
If you need other dependencies and download them as rpms you can install them all on the same line so you don't have to worry about which order to install them in e.g.
rpm -ivh mainapp.rpm somelibrary.rpm anotherone.rpm somethingelse.rpm
2) Source RPMs which are source code packaged up to build INTO an RPM package for your system. The benefit here is that seeing as it is built on YOUR system it should work.
rpmbuild --rebuild newapp.src.rpm
and NOTE where the RPM file is put! (http://smile.gif) Install as above from there.
3) Get source code and compile up. Will usually come as a .tar, .tar.bz2, .tar.gz file or something like this. Tar, gzip and bzip2 are often used to compress files and together, so a file may be a tar file which is THEN zipped too.
To uncompress use
bunzip2 filename.tar.bz2
or
gunzip filename.tar.gz
then
tar -xvf filename.tar (x-tract, verbose, file).
Note if your version supports it (usually does), tar can pass thru gzip or bzip2 files automatically like this:
tar -xvzf filename.tar.gz (gzip)
tar -xvjf filename.tar.bz2 (bzip2)
If you prefer GUI stuff use Ark which is available from the menus for unarchiving (if you double-click an archive file this is what runs).
When the tar file is extracted you will usually have a new directory to cd into. Look in there and there will usually be a configure file or MAYBE something like an install.sh file. The usual process is
cd install_dir
./configure
make
make install
the ./ part is because the shell looks for commands in the "command path" and nowhere else. You are in a directory that is NOT part of the command path so if you type a command from in there (e.g. configure) the shell will not "see it" automatically. A single "." in linux means "the current directory" so you are saying "run configure, which is in the current directory". You do not need this for "make", because the make command itself is stored somewhere that is already included in the command search path.
If there is something like install.sh try
sh install.sh
or something like install.bin do
./install.bin
however for source code it is usually done with configure and make as above.
Whatever, there should be a README file, so
cat README | more
will print this to the screen, hit space for more pages, this will tell you how to install.
Once whatever method is done, go back to normal user with exit, type the command name and see if it runs ok.
You can type
command_name &
to run in the background too to carry on typing in the shell.
If it runs ok you can add it to your menus, use the menu editor, add it as a new item, choose an icon for it, in the command field just enter the command that runs it, Apply and it is ready on your menu (now you can add it to your "task bar" equivalent as a button or whatever).
If you prefer pre-built RPMs to source "tarballs" (.tar.gz files etc.) you will find many kind souls build these up for different distros. Have a look on the net at places like FreshRPMs (http://freshrpms.net/) or use RPMfind (http://www.rpmfind.net/) I'm sure there are others too.
Hope this helps.
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quote:
Originally posted by Unforgiven1:
it seems like as soon as I ask a question I figure it out by myself.
Limewire is .bin
here's how I did it.
su
root pw
cd home/unforgiven/
sh /LimeWireLinux.bin
it ran and then informed me I needed a Java Virtual Machine. where the hell do I get one of those?
If you ever need something like that do two things
go to rpmfind.net (http://www.rpmfind.net)
and type in what you need really useful when your installing an RPM and it says you need glibc or something
also go to google (http://www.google.com)
and you can find what you need
edit:
you forgot the . between www and google, fixed it for you
[ August 10, 2003: Message edited by: Stryker ]
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heh, it seems that many people have already given you enough information for what you are asking for, but if you want to install apt-get, a debain based network for downloading/updating programs, tell me and i'll tell ya where you can get it.
there is also gui for apt-get, Synaptic. i think that's how it's spelled
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that sounds good siplus.
the thing i'm struggling with hardest of all is making a java virtual machine work. I can't seem to get it to install so mozilla will use java apps that are on some of the web pages I visit.
[edit] more specifically the one needed to enter yahoo chat.
[ August 10, 2003: Message edited by: Unforgiven1 ]
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quote:
Originally posted by Unforgiven1:
that sounds good siplus.
the thing i'm struggling with hardest of all is making a java virtual machine work. I can't seem to get it to install so mozilla will use java apps that are on some of the web pages I visit.
[edit] more specifically the one needed to enter yahoo chat.
[ August 10, 2003: Message edited by: Unforgiven1 ]
try manually placing A "link to application"
right click
--new
---creat link to aplication
in the /home/unforgiven/mozilla/plugins
in the address field put the address to your JAVA thingy
or copy the entire thing here
or are you sure you don't just need the plugin, cuz that's different than the virtual machine.
you know what I did for the plugin I just went to a webpage that called for it like the yahoo thing
but I went as root, then when the browser asked me if I wanted to install the plugin it was all done for me
just make sure that you have allowed installing over the net in your mozilla prefrences
edit
--preferences
---advanced
-----software instalation
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I am suprised no one mentioned the MES FAQ!
http://faq.belg88.com/index.php?op=view&t=4 (http://faq.belg88.com/index.php?op=view&t=4)
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Oh, look at that... I guess that could be because it's a little hard to find... I don't see any link to it on the MES website (Although that might just be because I'm bad at finding things. Is there one?)
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Wow... someone asks how to install something and there are a total of 21 replies. Now cut it down to 1/3 of that because 2/3 of the posts are crap. So you have 7 posts on how to install something. Just sit back and think about that for a second. 7 replies on how to install software.
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Well, jeffberg, I can see which "post category" you're adding to ;)
Personally, I think it's a good thing there's so much response! More information is never a bad thing. Besides, in some forums the question would probably just get "RTFM!!!!" as the response... I consider this better than that (http://smile.gif)
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for the apt-get / synaptic, voidmain has a great tutorial on his site:
http://voidmain.is-a-geek.net/redhat/redhat_9_apt-get_must_have.html (http://voidmain.is-a-geek.net/redhat/redhat_9_apt-get_must_have.html)
(i just noticed that he updated it for redhat9, i used to only be for rh8, and that was why i didn't link it right away)
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Unforgiven1:
You might be having trouble getting the Java VM to run because you haven't edited your $PATH variable in /etc/profile or /etc/bash.bashrc. If you have done this, and you've READ instructions that you've received via Google (or wherever), you might be a little confused with Red Hat's pathmunge() function.
Either way, I have explained what you need to do here:
http://forum.microsuck.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001924 (http://forum.microsuck.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=001924)
If you need more help, just ask (http://smile.gif)
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And people say that Linux is harder then Wondows.. the idiots.
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it is not that hard to install software. most of the time. there are always the instances where you have to deal with dependencies and wierd installs like the java virtual machine. i never did get limewire to work on my linux box. so i opted for a different p2p. i do hope they fix this pesky installation nightmare. mac osX did a good job, the software is self contained, and its easy to install & uninstall. i do hope that some code monkeys out there start adopting this method over an rpm or whatever. good luck with the virtual machine (http://smile.gif)
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quote:
Originally posted by Fett101:
And people say that Linux is harder then Wondows.. the idiots.
Like ecsyle said, there are a few instances that you have to do some minor tweaking to get things running. The Java VM happens to be one of these things that you need to fiddle with. Since Linux is a *true* multiuser OS, certain programs, like the VM, need to be specified as for use by the local user, or use by the entire system. That is why you have to edit the PATH variable. On M$ systems, there is only one PATH variable, and it is system-wide. There are no user defined PATHS, and there is no PATH for a superuser (because on M$ there is no superuser.) Then, you get into permissions, on which there are none on Window$ systems (none that are worth a fuck, anyways.) If he installed the VM into /usr/local/java, and /usr/local/java was not in his normal users' PATH, bash would have no way of interpeting what the command `java -jar runlime.jar` means. If it was in his normal users' PATH, and they get a "permission denied" error, he most likely installed it to a location that the user does not have execute permissions. Of course, since Linux is highly customizable, and most people that know what they are doing tweak certain permissions on certain directories, (for security reasons, and depending on what the main purpose of your machine is) there is no adequate way to make an "auto installer" like there is on window$. A "standard" location on one person's machine, using one distro, might be perfect, and will allow the user to execute everything flawlessly, while that same "standard" directory on another computer might have modified permissions, or the distro that he/she is using might have a unique set of permissions for the "standard" directory by default that do not allow a user execute permissions. Hence, the most logical method is to allow root to install the VM to a location that he/she knows is chmod'ed 777, and then set the PATH for all users to included that chmod'ed 777 directory. That is why there isn't a quaint, pretty, little "auto-installer" like there is on Window$. Unlike Window$, you can modify Linux to do whatever you want it to do for you without getting sued, and most Linux users, once they gain a little experience and confidence, do exactly that.
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Don't lie. Windows has paths. You can modify them, easily. And there's a superuser, too. "Administrator".
Bash Microsoft and Windows as much as you want, but bash them for the right reasons. (Get it? "Bash"? HA HA!)
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quote:
Originally posted by Copperhead:
Like ecsyle said, there are a few instances that you have to do some minor tweaking to get things running. The Java VM happens to be one of these things that you need to fiddle with. Since Linux is a *true* multiuser OS, certain programs, like the VM, need to be specified as for use by the local user, or use by the entire system. That is why you have to edit the PATH variable. On M$ systems, there is only one PATH variable, and it is system-wide. There are no user defined PATHS, and there is no PATH for a superuser (because on M$ there is no superuser.) Then, you get into permissions, on which there are none on Window$ systems (none that are worth a fuck, anyways.) If he installed the VM into /usr/local/java, and /usr/local/java was not in his normal users' PATH, bash would have no way of interpeting what the command `java -jar runlime.jar` means. If it was in his normal users' PATH, and they get a "permission denied" error, he most likely installed it to a location that the user does not have execute permissions. Of course, since Linux is highly customizable, and most people that know what they are doing tweak certain permissions on certain directories, (for security reasons, and depending on what the main purpose of your machine is) there is no adequate way to make an "auto installer" like there is on window$. A "standard" location on one person's machine, using one distro, might be perfect, and will allow the user to execute everything flawlessly, while that same "standard" directory on another computer might have modified permissions, or the distro that he/she is using might have a unique set of permissions for the "standard" directory by default that do not allow a user execute permissions. Hence, the most logical method is to allow root to install the VM to a location that he/she knows is chmod'ed 777, and then set the PATH for all users to included that chmod'ed 777 directory. That is why there isn't a quaint, pretty, little "auto-installer" like there is on Window$. Unlike Window$, you can modify Linux to do whatever you want it to do for you without getting sued, and most Linux users, once they gain a little experience and confidence, do exactly that.
wow. thanks. that actually helped a whole shitload. No one else has been able to help me with the PATH problem when trying to get java virtual machine to work when installing lime wire. now it makes sense. i just didn't understand it before. but, since i no longer have an internet connection at home, installing lime wire & java becomes rather pointless...
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quote:
Originally posted by TheQuirk:
Don't lie. Windows has paths. You can modify them, easily. And there's a superuser, too. "Administrator".
I never said that Window$ doesn't have PATHs. Please point out where I said that they don't have PATHs, and where I said that you cannot modify them.
As for the superuser, you are making referrence in your post to win2K. I was referring to the M$ Flagship OS win 9x/ME.
I don't need to "lie" to make M$ look bad and bash them. They do an adequate job on that by just making products. Hell, I don't even like to talk about them. But, you can talk about them all you want. As you can probably tell, I really don't enjoy the topic (http://smile.gif)
[ August 12, 2003: Message edited by: Copperhead ]
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quote:
Originally posted by Copperhead:
I never said that Window$ doesn't have PATHs. Please point out where I said that they don't have PATHs, and where I said that you cannot modify them.
As for the superuser, you are making referrence in your post to win2K. I was referring to the M$ Flagship OS win 9x/ME.
I don't need to "lie" to make M$ look bad and bash them. They do an adequate job on that by just making products. Hell, I don't even like to talk about them. But, you can talk about them all you want. As you can probably tell, I really don't enjoy the topic (http://smile.gif)
[ August 12, 2003: Message edited by: Copperhead ]
Arr. Actually, their flagship product is Windows XP. As such, "On M$ systems, there is only one PATH variable, and it is system-wide." is not true, because you can add different paths for specific users, just like you can with *nix.
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quote:
Originally posted by TheQuirk:
And there's a superuser, too. "Administrator".
...and his name is Bill.