I have downloaded the Adobe Acrobat Reader for Linux. I have some difficulties opening the
downloaded linux-509.tar.gz file. I am using Mandarake Linux 10.0 version and it works fine.

Could you help me please?


1. I created a folder called '' Adobe Acrobat reader for Linux "". Afterwards I downloaded the file to that folder.

2. I successfully opened with the '' tar -xvpz linux-509.tar.gz file '' command.
You will clearly notice it in the following:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[nissanka@h134n2fls301o1037 Adobe Acrobat Reader for Linux]$ tar -xvpzf linux-509.tar.gz
./
./COMMON.TAR
./INSTALL
./README
./LICREAD.TXT
./LINUXRDR.TAR
./MANIFEST
[nissanka@h134n2fls301o1037 Adobe Acrobat Reader for Linux]$ ./INSTALL

ERROR: No configurations found ... aborting
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you notice the expansion of the downloaded file was successful.

So I wrote the ----> ] $ ./INSTALL

It didn't open. I got an error message. What is the problem? Please help me.

What was the error message?

Here are the notes that I've made on installing Adobe Reader for Linux.

This line is for the Firefox browser plugin:
These lines are for the reader in general - making it available in your PATH.

Hallamigo

I appreciate your reply. What is wrong with my commands?

Could you tell me the flaw in my way of doing it?

Hallmigo

su
mv linux-509.tar.gz adobe-linux-509.tar.gz

What is this su?

What is the second line is doing?
One uses mv command to rename a file.

You need to be root user (su) to install Adobe Acrobat - as for the second line, I'm renaming the file although this is not a needed step.

Thanks for the reply.
What is the meaning of this line? -----> rm adobe-reader/ -rf

On top of this I don't use the Mozilla Firefox browser. I use the ordinary Mozilla 1.6 browser. I still can't fathom why you
you inserted the browser related line.

Please answer me when possible.

The following lines are not clear to me either.

cd ..
rm adobe-reader/ -rf

You use [ rm ]command to remove a file or folder, as far as I know. Why do you want to remove [ adobe-reader ] here?

The switches [ -rf ] are not clear to me. What are they?

cd.. uses to go down to a folder. What is the folder you want to step in here?

Could you tell me when possible, please.

It seems people can do things in many ways. Unfortunately, I am a beginner in these matters.

su
Become root. You need to be root to install anything to /usr/local. Enter this command, and it will prompt you for you root password.

mv linux-509.tar.gz adobe-linux-509.tar.gz
rename the downloaded file. This step is not really neccessary

mkdir /usr/local/adobe-reader
Make a directory to unzip the downloaded file to. This is a temporary directory, since the files you unzip into it are not needed once acrobat is installed

cp adobe-linux-509.tar.gz /usr/local/adobe-reader/
Copy the tarball to this temporary directory

cd /usr/local/adobe-reader/
Move to the temporary directory

tar -zxvf adobe-linux-509.tar.gz
and unzip the tarball.

./INSTALL
Run the install script. This will install acrobat to /usr/local/Acrobat5.

cd ..
This changes to the parent directory of your current directory. For example, in this case you are in /usr/local/adobe-reader, after executing this command you will be in /usr/local

rm adobe-reader/ -rf
You can now safely remove the temporary directory. The -fr switch is needed to remove a directory, it means to delete the directory and (recursively) delete its subdirectories, without prompting.

cp Acrobat5/Browsers/intellinux/nppdf.so /usr/local/firefox/plugins/
So that you can open pdf files in firefox, you need to add the Acrobat plugin to the firefox plugins directory. If you use Mozilla, replace the firefox directory with the mozilla plugins directory.

cd /usr/bin/

ln -s /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread .
If you create a symbolic link in /usr/bin, you will be able to launch acrobat by simply typing "acroread" at the command line. (No Quotes)

I hope this clears it up for you
--Ian

Thanks IBall, you explained it perfectly.

It was an excellent description by Iball. I take my hat off to you for the description. You have simpy explained it step by step. I have no questions to ask on this. You are great.

The problem is with the software...

When I untar and run the install for 5.09, it tells me the 'No configurations Found' error message and stops.
I managed to find an archive I had of the 5.08 Acrobat, and when I ran tar zxvf on that sucker, and ./INSTALL it showed me the license and installed properly.

I can only assume the problem is with Adobe's 5.09 Acro and not with anything I had done, since I dealt with the two files identically.