n00b question about installing application
 

I have been trynig to install openoffice, xmms, realplayer, and some libraries. The only thing I am able to install is glib.

When I try to install other stuff, I run into a lot of " ______ cannot be found" or "error while loading: ____ cannot open....:no such file or directory"
So, I go and find the ____ when I install the _____, they have yet another ____ it cannot find. It goes on and on, and I just cannot install anything.

1. Do I have to always find all those missing library (I think they are libraries) to install just one program?
2. Is there any way to simplify this crazyness, so I don't have to install about 5 things before I can install this one program I want to use?
3. Is "make install" the process that actually install the program?
4. When I run "make install" where is my program actually installed?
5. Is it possible to change where a program is installed? example: when I install something in windows they normally put it in C:\ProgramFiles\, but I can change it to E:\I-like-to-install-it-here\

Thank you very much.

Have you tried using yum to install your programs? Or have you tried using rpm files? What version of Linux are you using?

Try running this command at a command prompt as root:


yum install realplayer*

I use Fedora Core 4.
I have not yet tried YUM. I will try it.
I was using the command rpm -ivh <filename.rpm> for most of the things.

You were doing the install right with rpm. If you want to install more then one rpm just do rpm -ivh program1.rpm program2.rpm program3.rpm. If your box is connected to the Internet then yum is the easiest way to go. It will do all the resolving for you...

See: http://www.fedorafaq.org/#getsoftware