Ubuntu will not open any .bin files.

WDSnav · 12-21-2006, 06:35 PM

Ubuntu will not open any .bin files without bring up this error "gedit has not been able to detect the character coding.
Please check that you are not trying to open a binary file.
Select a character coding from the menu and try again."

Ok well if that won't open a binary file what the hell? What am I supposed to do to open binary files?

Tinkster · 12-21-2006, 07:28 PM

What makes you think you're supposed to "open" a binary file?
Commonly they'll be executables of sorts, and run, not opened.

Cheers,
Tink

WDSnav · 12-21-2006, 09:20 PM

So since any program you download off the internet for linux usually comes in a .bin format how do I get the program installed?

Tinkster · 12-21-2006, 10:10 PM

There's hardly any that get distributed as .bin
MOt will be distribution specific (e.g. rpm, deb, ...) or
source (e.g. .tar.gz or .tar.bz2) ... what did you get, which
distro are you using?

Cheers,
Tink

pixellany · 12-21-2006, 11:43 PM

What distro are you using?
Have you gotten familiar with the package manager?

The hands-down preffered approach for installing SW is the package manager. The better distros now seem to have **everything** in their repositories.

As stated, almost no Linux SW comes as .bin Depending on your distro, look for rpm or deb (possibly hiding inside a .tar or .tar.gz