Hello,

I've been using Windows for about 10 years now, and 2 days ago someone gave me the CD of Lindows 4. I installed it yesterday, and it is the first time I have a "linux OS" on my computer.

I tried to download some packages (i. e. divx for linux), but I don't know how to install it. I found on some website, that I have to type "make" or "make install" or "./configure", but when I type "make", the shell writes "command not found" and when i try "./configure" it says something like "the folder doesn't exists". "xmkmf" doesn't work either...

Does anyone knows if I can install somthing on Lindows ? Maybe Lindows wants that I use the click-N-run option (but I don't want to pay 99 $ for crap !).

Thanks, Cyrille

What file did you download actually? Is it a tarball which has an extension like *.tar.gz/*.tar.bz?

In linux, there are 2 ways(or more?) of installing software. One is to install from source(./configure, make, make install) and the other is to install from packages made for your distribution. But either way you need to log in as root to install programs.

This is all I can say for the moment as I am not sure what package system does Lindows use.

hi

lindows is debian based and its really easy to install software. you dont need to use click and run unless you want to run proprietary and commercial applications.

apt-get is the system used for software installation and upgradation.

the debian.org site has extensive information but let me give you a brief intro

the packaging system used is deb packages and is installed via a tool called dpkg. a front end called apt handles it better.


apt-get update

will update your packaging list.

apt-get install <software> will install new stuff

apt-get upgrade will update all the software in your system

apt-get dist-upgrade will upgrade and install new stuff to the latest available

apt-cache search <software> can be used to search the packaging list for stuff available

apt-get install synaptic willl install a Graphical user interface for you. you can synaptic to do all the necessary stuff without using the command line

/etc/apt/sources.list points to websites that apt uses to download new stuff and is called repositries

check if its setup properly if not search for sources.list from debian.org.

apt-get.org has a list of unofficial sites supplying new packages. have fun and post back if you have problems

compilation from source is not really required unless you are using bleeding edge software.

anyway

tar zxvf something.tar.gz extracts it
tar jxvf something.tar.bz2 for bz2 archives which are smaller.

go into the extracted directory

read the INSTALL or README file.

usually

./configure
make

and as root user

make install will work

regards
rahul sundaram