I have been a newbie for about a week today. Unfortunatly, I cannot figure out how to install programs! I tried to install "foomatic" (which is a printer controller thingy-mobob) and Gaim (i had the old .47 and now i'm trying to install 1.02).

I went to the directory of the files i "unzipped" (windows term, i know) and ran the following commands (as root):

$ ./configure
(which made no errors at all)
$ make
(once again, no errors)
$ make install
(no errors)

After all that, i have no idea where it installed to or what happened. I couldn't launch the program and i don't know what else to do!

Try opening a terminal and typing the program name.
good luck.

Heres what happened:


zinggniz@zinggniz:~$ foomatic
-bash: foomatic: command not found
zinggniz@zinggniz:~$ adobe
-bash: adobe: command not found
zinggniz@zinggniz:~$ gaim
ALSA lib pcm_hw.c:1055snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Permission denied

( i know, i'm not in root, but when i do it in root, same result. Error then old version)




After the last one, it opened the old version of gaim. I just tried to install Adobe (fyi) but couldn't figure out the commands. Here what the help file said:




zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ dir
COMMON.TAR INSTALL* LICREAD.TXT LINUXRDR.TAR MANIFEST README
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ install
install: too few arguments
Try `install --help' for more information.
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ install --help
Usage: install [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST (1st format)
or: install [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY (2nd format)
or: install -d [OPTION]... DIRECTORY... (3rd format)
In the first two formats, copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to
the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group.
In the third format, create all components of the given DIRECTORY(ies).

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
--backup[=CONTROL] make a backup of each existing destination file
-b like --backup but does not accept an argument
-c (ignored)
-d, --directory treat all arguments as directory names; create all
components of the specified directories
-D create all leading components of DEST except the last,
then copy SOURCE to DEST; useful in the 1st format
-g, --group=GROUP set group ownership, instead of process' current group
-m, --mode=MODE set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x
-o, --owner=OWNER set ownership (super-user only)
-p, --preserve-timestamps apply access/modification times of SOURCE files
to corresponding destination files
-s, --strip strip symbol tables, only for 1st and 2nd formats
-S, --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix
-v, --verbose print the name of each directory as it is created
--help display this help and exit
--version output version information and exit

The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through
the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

none, off never make backups (even if --backup is given)
numbered, t make numbered backups
existing, nil numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
simple, never always make simple backups

Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$


inggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ dir
COMMON.TAR INSTALL* LICREAD.TXT LINUXRDR.TAR MANIFEST README
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ install
install: too few arguments
Try `install --help' for more information.
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$ install --help
Usage: install [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST (1st format)
or: install [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY (2nd format)
or: install -d [OPTION]... DIRECTORY... (3rd format)
In the first two formats, copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to
the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group.
In the third format, create all components of the given DIRECTORY(ies).

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
--backup[=CONTROL] make a backup of each existing destination file
-b like --backup but does not accept an argument
-c (ignored)
-d, --directory treat all arguments as directory names; create all
components of the specified directories
-D create all leading components of DEST except the last,
then copy SOURCE to DEST; useful in the 1st format
-g, --group=GROUP set group ownership, instead of process' current group
-m, --mode=MODE set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x
-o, --owner=OWNER set ownership (super-user only)
-p, --preserve-timestamps apply access/modification times of SOURCE files
to corresponding destination files
-s, --strip strip symbol tables, only for 1st and 2nd formats
-S, --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix
-v, --verbose print the name of each directory as it is created
--help display this help and exit
--version output version information and exit

The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through
the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

none, off never make backups (even if --backup is given)
numbered, t make numbered backups
existing, nil numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
simple, never always make simple backups

Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
zinggniz@zinggniz:~/Desktop/adobe$



I don't know what that all means!!!! :-(
The readme said to just launch install. I tried clicking on it in the file browser, but nothing happened.

Alright, you've got a few things going on.

First foomatic is not a program you run, it justs needs to be installed if your printer requires it. When you try to configure your printer via cups, you'll select it.

With the adobe install, you'll need to su - to roots environment, then cd to the directory, then run ./install. That should start the install script.

For the gaim problem, I'm thinking you needed to uninstall the old version before installing the new version.

Hope this helps.
good luck.

Thanks a ton! But real quick:

How do I uninstall the old GAIM? It came with this version on Linux

I've never used college linux, however, it's based on Slackware, so you might be able to run pkgtool from a terminal as root or su -. If that works, you can remove the package there. If not,have a look at the docs, to see what's available as far as package management is concerned.
good luck.

Two things:

1) I can't print anything right now... I selected Cups and my only problem was it asked me for some kind of command line.

2) More importantly, I'm still having trouble installing programs. GRR! When I run ./install, it gives that "-bash" error stuff like if I type random letters and push enter. What does that su- thing yall are talking about mean?

Anyway, at least I'm getting somewhere! Could you tell me the EXACT things you would type in to install a standard program? (like Gaim for instance. This is assuming I'm logged in as Root and in the right directory... I would probubly type "$ ./configure", then "$ make" and finally "$ make install". Thanks a ton!)

i believe college linux is based on slackware, so you can also install slackware binaries from linuxpackages.net .

For the adobe install, it would be.

./name of install script.sh

For other programs from source, it's usually.

./configure

make

make install

Hope that helps.
good luck.

Thanks!

I tried ./confugure, make, and make install before and there were no errors (this was with GAIM), but I couldn't find the program. I'll try the shell thing. I'm just going to have to keep messing with it untill I get it right, i guess! ^_^

Your welcome, if by "try the shell thing" you're refering to typing in the program name from a terminal then I'd say your on the right track.
good luck.