Installing apps under Linux


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Step-by-step Guide

Read the documentation:

If you need documentation about software that came pre-installed with Linux, look in /usr/doc. Applications you install later which come in binary-only form also place documentation here.

If you are about to try something which isn't a simple download, such as installing new hardware, there are documents called HOWTOs which may help you. You may find that reading the HOWTO first, then downloading your application will save you a lot of time.

If you are having trouble installing a software package,you can often look at the maintainer's web page for a "Troubleshooting" section, or you can look in a file called INSTALL or README in the main source directory.

After proper installation, most of the software you will download will set up man pages for you.

If you are stuck doing any of the above, you can always consult your local users' group or post to Usenet's comp.os.linux hierarchy.

Acquire the app

Find the maintainer of the app you want to download, and visit their website. There will usually be a page devoted to downloads. Determine which version you need, and download away.

RPM installation using rpm

Some distributions use the RedHat Package Management (RPM) system. These systems install using rpm. The format is rpm -i . For a progress bar, use the -h switch to rpm. If you download a source RPM (with .src.rpm extension), you will first need to --rebuild the app. The man page for rpm has all the details.

This completes the installation.

Non-RPM installation: Unpackaging

Open source software applications generally require more than one file, but most downloads are one file only. The utility used to create an archive out of several files is called tar.

In addition to being tarred, many applications are compressed to save disk space and download time. There are several compression utilities out there for this purpose. The most popular compression utility is gzip. Files that have been compressed with gzip end in ".gz". Another compression utility is compress, whose files end in ".Z", as is bzip2, with a ".bz2" extension.

Once you have downloaded the file, you will need to uncompess it and untar it. The tar program has the ability to uncompress automatically, using the -z option.

Inspection of contents

First you should look at the files in the archive using: tar -tzf . The -t option tells tar you want a table of contents, and the -f tells tar which file to inspect.

Most of the time, the archive is a single directory with many contents, but some of the time it's just files. If you have just files, you'll need to make a separate directory to uncompress the files into. You should then use the -C switch to tar below (see the man page for details).

Decompression

Use tar -xzf . The -x means "eXtract". You will now have a large number of files in your source directory. cd into the directory.

Documentation

Most applications will come with a README or INSTALL file (or both). Read these files before proceeding with the installation. Follow all instructions in the INSTALL file.

Non-RPM applications you will install use the make utility. Normally, you will have to look through the file Makefile and tailor it to your hardware and software setup. Then you will run the commands make and make install. You may be asked questions at this time to configure the software.

Problems You May Have

If you have any problems installing software, there are several things you can do. You can post a help-wanted message. You can find a Linux guru, perhaps at a LUG (Linux User Groups). You can read the HOWTO or README again -- a lot of them have a troubleshooting section with the most common install problems. Change the makefile. Consult the newsgroups. Try anything and everything.

This can be the most frustrating part of running Linux. If you have patience, the solution will present itself. And then, as part of the Linux community, you can help others who have similar problems.

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To decompress .tar file you must do

tar -xvf

I can not remember what attribute you'll have to put to compile a .tar file, but you can always do

man tar

to find out. Goodluck.

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Originally posted by configure

To decompress .tar file you must do

tar -xvf

I can not remember what attribute you'll have to put to compile a .tar file, but you can always do

man tar

to find out. Goodluck.

what does xvf mean? was it totally random?

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Look at the man page (man tar in console)

-x Extracts the files specified by one or more File parameters from the archive.

If the File parameter refers to a directory, the tar command recursively

extracts that directory from the archive. If you do not specify the File

parameter, the tar command extracts all of the files from the archive. When an

archive contains multiple copies of the same file, the last copy extracted

overwrites all previously extracted copies. If the file being extracted does not

already exist on the system, the file is created. If you have the proper

permissions, the tar command restores all files and directories with the same

owner and group IDs as they have on the tape. If you do not have the proper

permissions, the files and directories are restored with your owner and group

IDs. It is not possible to ask for any occurrence of a file other than the last.

Optional Flags

-v Lists the name of each file as it is processed. With the -t flag, -v gives

more information about the tape entries, including file sizes, times of last

modification, User Number (UID), Group Number (GID), and permissions.

-f Archive Uses the Archive variable as the archive to be read or written. When

this flag is not specified, the tar command uses a system-dependent default file

name of the form /dev/rmt0. If the Archive variable specified is - (minus sign),

the tar command writes to standard output or reads from standard input. If you

write to standard output, the -c flag must be used.

I mean you really only need -x

but -v is a visual output meaning you see what is being extracted.

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Am downloading the 5 Redhat 7.3 iso files to upgrade from 7.2. I know that I can mount an iso image as if it were a cd. My question is, since the upgrade spans multiple iso files, will the install program be able to figure this out? I am unable to burn to cd, since I have no burner on this machine...Did I waste my time with the downloads??

Thanks

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RedHat can use iso files on your drive just make a folder and put the iso files in there let's say the folder is /RedHat then in the setup pick the drive and put for the path to the ISO's /RedHat thats all pretty painless. Red Hat can do that very easy.

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  • 1 month later...

Bah this is unessesary, one should just be able to right-click a .rpm package - no a .tar/.zip or whatever linux uses - and choose extract here. Then one could move it to where one wanted it maybe and make a shortcut yourself.

One would require an step-by-step walkthrough for ultra-n00bs but once they learn it they feel they know how the system works, and they will feel more secure.

Furthermore, if the application where made the way I want to (but may not be possible for all applications I dont know) one could just copy the whole application folder drag-n-drop to your shared area on the server and wholia you've taken a back-up. Ok some applications are too big but my eudora 3.0 pro is 5MB :)

And ok it would be even better I guess if the application could store everything in a folder you can easily (read: GUI) specify and take backup of.

See this is good when the applications stores _everything_ in its own directory (or a dir you specify. what ever just NOT IN THE REGISTRY or .ini files in windows system32 dir *sigh*) and not in the awful ever-growing registry (to make a windows example). It must store things like windows positions (if it has windows inside of its window) and account information (take an email program) and the emails all in its folder.

Eudora 3.0 Pro does this, and all I have todo after I reinstalled the OS was set it to be default email client (it asks me when I start it if it isn't) and create a shortcut and everything is back, its position, its configuration, its windows positions. I can just hit check email and everything works!

This is NOT the way with outlook however, I have tried several things but nothing has worked. I just cant create a backup of what newsgroups I have read and subscribed to etc and restore it next time I install windows. Settings Transfer Wizard did actually work but it also transferred some settings that I wanted to set to "default" by a re-install (windows is a complete mess after a while of use things can get slower and old display drivers from a card you just upgraded from can stop games from working and the only way I know to fix that is to reinstall).

Ok about the .tar files what about just a simple right-click and choose "extract to a-subfolder-with-the-same-name" or extract to... so you can graphically choose. Then you could move it around later and really learn the system by kinda building it up yourself. And doing that by drab-n-drop is quicker and easier to learn.

No as you see I am no fond of .rpm package format and Windows Installshield. Totally "fordummende" (norwegian for making you dumber) and the user never learns how the system works.

Yes I do belive it can be both easy clean and powerful to use, without wizards like XPs network setup wizard. Just look at win2ks network properties. Simple but not too simple. Too simple and you make things too complex and hard to fix.

edit: some programs must be "registered" so the system can be "a single unit" like winrar must get referred to whenever you right-click an archive but this again must be easily setup - and changed so if you should move the winrar folder you can easily make it work again. No cryptic unessesary shell commands.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
Originally posted by Tibur0n

Of course after unpacking :)

./configure

su(Some need this others do not)

ROOT PASS

make

make install

Actually you only need to be logged in as root "with the su command" when you do "make install" you can be a regular user win your do the first compile:

as regular user:

./configure

make

as su root:

make install

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reason I say to only be root when you install is so that root does not take ownership of your files that you are compiling. You want to keep full ownership of all of your files.

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The problem with rpms is you'll probably end up facing what is known as "rpm hell" (dependency problems, etc.). That's why it's nice to use a packaging system such as that used by Gentoo or Debian. Also, if you have to use rpms, it's worth checking out apt-get ports for rpms.

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  • 2 months later...

In gentoo linux you are not required to manually make / make config / make install for many applications. Using the portage system will automatically download, configure, and install applications for you (including their dependecies).

To install XMMS in Gentoo 1.4 RC1 you would simply type (in a console or xterm)

# emerge xmms

Portage will automatically download the XMMS sources for your computer, patch them to the latest version and then compile and install the program.

Installing complex programs is just as easy: for example to install KDE3 you would type

# emerge kde

KDE will automatically download and install X11 for you,as well as QT and all the other little dependencies.

A more detailed explanation of portage and installing applications in gentoo linux can be found at www.gentoo.org

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In gentoo linux you are not required to manually make / make config / make install for many applications. Using the portage system will automatically download, configure, and install applications for you (including their dependecies).

Debian also has this feature its called apt get, To install a package just type

# apt-get install package

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  • 4 weeks later...

i have mandrake 8.2 (in about 1 day 2 b mandrake 9), i have open office 8.2 or woteva the latest version is, i ave full root access, and i want 2 know how do i install open office so that it is accessible by all users on my box, executable by all users on my box, and links appear in the favorites folder under the gnome/kde menu (wot do u call that thing?)

ive installed it into a dir that all users and groups can access, write to, read from and execute from, i checked the permissions and set them so anyone can do anything, still dont work, if i install it again under a user (non root) i can get it to work in that user, but not in root, using up double disk space, wot do i need 2 do????

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  • 3 weeks later...
i have mandrake 8.2 (in about 1 day 2 b mandrake 9), i have open office 8.2 or woteva the latest version is, i ave full root access, and i want 2 know how do i install open office so that it is accessible by all users on my box, executable by all users on my box, and links appear in the favorites folder under the gnome/kde menu (wot do u call that thing?)

ive installed it into a dir that all users and groups can access, write to, read from and execute from, i checked the permissions and set them so anyone can do anything, still dont work, if i install it again under a user (non root) i can get it to work in that user, but not in root, using up double disk space, wot do i need 2 do????

RPM's usually open a utility once clicked on that installs via a ROOT approved app, for example you can use ROOT as the name and the password on SuSe 8.1 to install anything in root. BUT as a user it won't.

Anyone got a quick fix for this, as Mandrake, SuSE, and Redhat all share this stupid problem.

Lindows works because it is only root mode. Sorry sorta, to say this but if that pix or two above is real, call me!!

---Rich :woot:

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ok this is all fine and dandy but i just installed redhat today (first time ever using linux) and i downloaded the app i want to install and i haveextracted now what the hell ddo i do to make the app (netspades) work so i can play. I can't find how to get into the terminal. to type /configure or anythign else

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i have mandrake 8.2 (in about 1 day 2 b mandrake 9), i have open office 8.2 or woteva the latest version is, i ave full root access, and i want 2 know how do i install open office so that it is accessible by all users on my box, executable by all users on my box, and links appear in the favorites folder under the gnome/kde menu (wot do u call that thing?)

ive installed it into a dir that all users and groups can access, write to, read from and execute from, i checked the permissions and set them so anyone can do anything, still dont work, if i install it again under a user (non root) i can get it to work in that user, but not in root, using up double disk space, wot do i need 2 do????

RPM's usually open a utility once clicked on that installs via a ROOT approved app, for example you can use ROOT as the name and the password on SuSe 8.1 to install anything in root. BUT as a user it won't.

Anyone got a quick fix for this, as Mandrake, SuSE, and Redhat all share this stupid problem.

Lindows works because it is only root mode. Sorry sorta, to say this but if that pix or two above is real, call me!!

---Rich :woot:

OpenOffice should be included in Mandrake 8.2 and 9.0, so you just need to go to the following in the menu to get the progs running:

Office > Word Processing > OpenOffice.org Writer

Office > Word Processing > OpenOffice.org Math

Office > Spreadsheets > OpenOffice.org Calc

Office > Presentations > OpenOffice.org Impress

Office > Graphics > OpenOffice.org Draw

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  • 3 months later...

I think the following handy application fits into this thread pretty well:

Checkinstall

When make install is done, CheckInstall will create a Slackware, RPM or Debian compatible package and install it with Slackware's installpkg, "rpm -i" or Debian's "dpkg -i" as appropriate, so you can view it's contents with pkgtool ("rpm -ql" for RPM users or "dpkg -l" for Debian) or remove it with removepkg ("rpm -e"|"dpkg -r"). Aditionally, this script will leave you a copy of the installed package in the source directory so you can install it wherever you want, which is my second motivation: I don't have to compile the same software again and again every time I need to install it on another box :-).

I've been using it for years. First on SuSE which needs .rpm, now on Debian which uses .deb. Checkinstall works flawlessly and helps people who compile a lot a lot ;)

k

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  • 3 weeks later...

okay this will help those using redhat 9. go to freshrpms.net and click on the Apt link. rh9 has its own apt-get utility called synaptic. for example if you wanted to download mplayer and all of its dependencies you should just double click on mplayer thru the synaptic utility and it will automatically select all the necessary files you would need to get it to work. once its downloaded you can have synaptic install all of the rpm files and it works well, ive been using it. saves alot of time too.

for single rpms remember you can do rpm -Uvh filename.rpm but you must be logged in as root or poweruser (type "su" and it will prompt for root pword).

i am a total noob but i have friends who run linux so they really helped me out, and i hope to help those hesitant to try rh9 or some other distro of linux. goodluck =)

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okay this will help those using redhat 9. go to freshrpms.net and click on the Apt link. rh9 has its own apt-get utility called synaptic. for example if you wanted to download mplayer and all of its dependencies you should just double click on mplayer thru the synaptic utility and it will automatically select all the necessary files you would need to get it to work. once its downloaded you can have synaptic install all of the rpm files and it works well, ive been using it. saves alot of time too.

for single rpms remember you can do rpm -Uvh filename.rpm but you must be logged in as root or poweruser (type "su" and it will prompt for root pword).

i am a total noob but i have friends who run linux so they really helped me out, and i hope to help those hesitant to try rh9 or some other distro of linux. goodluck =)

yea atp4rpm and synaptic work awesome for redhat users, just like using debian's apt-get and same principle as gentoo's bsd style portage system

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  • 3 months later...
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