How do you compile tar.gz's....please help
 

Hi,
i am experimenting linux currently, and experimenting with xandros 2.0 (open circulation).
i was unzipping the tar.gz file for the UT:GOTY(the original one) demo and then it just became a folder. the file name is utdemo-x86-438something something.
i dont think the file name matters (i will just drag the folder into the command window.
anyway, when i type install in the command thing, then the folder name, it sais too few arguments. when i say make, it sais nothing can be done to the file.
ARGH! i just cant figure it out on my own!
so anyway, how do i install it?

p.s. i am a newb windows user who is used to double-clicking on .exe files. please be detailed

read everything here www.tldp.org
then to extract a gz or tgz file you do
tar -zxvf filename.tar.gz
for a bzip2 file (.bz2)
tar -jxvf filename.tar.bz

to complie the software inside
go into the folder that's made and run
./configure
then
make
then as root
make install
sometimes the above is changed to (so you don't have to login as root)
su -c 'make install' which will then prompt you for the root password.

don't forget to read the README and INSTALL files included in the package.

if it's a binary file then the file name *should* have i386 or similar in it
example-i386.tar.gz

UT doesn't need compiling.

Untar the tarball (as per the first part of tax's reply), then run the file inside the folder it created (I think the file ends in .run, but your details were so vague it could be anything: garbage in = garbage out) by first making it executable:
chmod +x filename
and then doing:
./filename

obviously replacing filename with the name of the file. Assuming you're using the same version of UT that I installed ages ago then you'll need to do that as root to get it to install globally.

ya, you see, there are many folders, system, maps and so on. do i just have to be in the main folder to use the ./configure command?

UT2004 Installation Guide for Linux:

http://www.mepisguides.com/ut2k4/ut2k4.html

My Mistake
 

I thought this thread would help me to understand what a tar file is and how to install from it.

Did you ignore everything I just said? I said it doesn't need compiling

actually i read it, but i did what you said, i searched the folder. all of the files look the same......
anyway, on xandros 2.0 ./configure isnt a command

That's because it's a script included with (most) files that need to be compiled. It's not a system command. If the files look the same then there must be some instructions included for installation. I can't imagine they'd just expect you to guess at it.

Start here:
READ: "Installing Applications"
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDE...ml#APPSINSTALL


Then maybe here:
"Before you Compile Anything HOWTO"
http://forums.xandros.com/viewtopic.php?t=7166

"Xandros And Compiling KDE or Qt applications"
http://www.archlug.org/kwiki/Xandros...QtApplications

Re: My Mistake
 

As written by others before me in this thread, if you have a file called myfile.tar.gz, do

gunzip myfile.tar.gz

After that, or if you have from the beginning a file called myfile.tar, do

tar -xvf myfile.tar

then there will be a directory called myfile

cd myfile
ls

There should be files called INSTALL or README, or something like this. Read them carefully and you will get all instructions on how to install the thing you are trying to install.