From what i've learned from other threads, i need a .configure file that came with software i dl to make it. I dont have one of these.

What do i need to do to correct this?
Also, what arguments should i put in for make and install ?

Try:

make

and then become root, and type:

make install

How does that help me?
I'm root already btw.

what form of the software did you download?
(.tar, .tar.gz, .rpm ....)

If .tar or tar.gz, have you untared the package?
tar xvf yourdlsoftware.tar --for .tar
tar zxvf yourdlsoftware.tar.gz --for .tar.gz
There should be a README file in the newly created directory after the untar on how to install the package.

If rpm, run 'rpm -ivh yourdlsoftware.rpm'

with tarballs it's usually ./configure, make, make install, but thats not set in stone. if there's no ./configure than you need to read the text files included with the software for instructions.

the file i have is *.gz, and contains one binary file with no .***

there won't be a file called "./configure"

when you do an 'ls' it will list a file called "configure"

in order to run this file while in that current directory you must preceed it with a ./

think of ./ as "run from this current directory"

in short: (too late)
- cd into new directory
- ls (look for file named configure)
- if exsists run ./configure

NOTE: would help to look for file called README or Readme for more installation intructions

I'll look into finding a readme online. If the configure file isnt in the .gz it seems to me that it wouldnt be in the directory i uncompress to.

bottom line. do i absolutely need this file? and what do i need to do if i cant come up with it?

I think you might be a little confused here...

When you download most programs, and untar them, they will decompress into their own directory. Inside the directory into which they decompressed, you can see if there is a configure script. It will be called configure. If there isn't, then you should read the README file that is probably included in that directory. Most of the time if there is not a configure script, then you simply need to make and make install the program (meaning this program doesn't need to configure anything, and is probably self-sustaining).

So, as was suggestion way back there, if there is no configure script, you can probably safely get away with:
make (and when it finishes)
make install

That might take care of it

Cool

That looks like what i needed to know. i'll try that. Thanks