Alright, first off I want to warn everybody that I am a recent convert from Windows XP Pro. I've messed around with Linux a TINY bit before (read, "oooh look! cd! ls! weee") but nothing much beyond that. I really want to learn this time around.. and I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

On to the question:

I'm running firefox on my Fedora Core 5 (64bit) install. I can't see macromedia flash pages. Thus I went and downloaded macromedia's linux flash reader program thingy. It comes in a .tar.gz file. Now what do I do? How do I install it?

And maybe more of the same... I have downloaded the nVidia linux drivers for their GeForce line of cards. It came in a .run file. How do I install it?

Remember, go kinda slow with me at first.. I can deffiantly hold my own in a Windows enviroment but (having only used Linux for about two hours now) I'm like a fish out of water here.

Thanks much,
Niaski

the .tar.gz resembles .zip files (which I assume you are familiar with). So how to install depends on what's in it.

But to extract, you can either (probably) double-click on it in your fav. file browser, or cd to where you want to extract to, then run "tar zxf /path/to/file". To see what's in it first, run "tar ztf /path/to/file".

As for the .run file, I'm not sure. Try running "file /path/to/file". If it says something containing either 'script', 'ELF', 'a.out' or 'executable', run it. You may have to "chmod +x /path/to/file" first.

hth --Jonas

Awesome, I'll try that right now.

As for the .tag.gz: Yeah, I figured the compessed file part... then I actually read the install instructions (gasp) and it said go to the dir and run ./installer... and I did and as it turns out macromedia doesn't have a 64bit flash player... so that didnt work.

Will post results about the other thing.

Alright, when I did the file thing it gave me this:

And you say that if it says anything about an executable (which it does.. I think) then run it. My question is how do I run it? Double clicking doesn't work...

at least one of
should work.

Read 'Smart Questions' by Eric Raymond (google for it), especially about reporting errors verbatim. "Double clicking doesn't work" isn't as helpful as possible. What happens when you double-click? Nothing? Does it pop up an error message? What does it say? Does it crash your machine?

It's probably not important here, but it might have been helpful in a different situation, so get in the habit of providing as much information as possible (within reason, of course, but rather a little more than a little less).

hth --Jonas

You'll prob have to give it executable permissions ie try
ls -l <filename>
if it looks like this
-rw-rw-r-- 1 user1 user1 706 Apr 1 2005 <filename>
add executable for the owner like this
chmod u+x <filename>
assuming you are the owner, or do it as root (admin) user.
Run ls cmd again:
-rwxrw-r-- 1 user1 user1 706 Apr 1 2005 <filename>
then run the file
./<filename>

Good point. I'll try to remember that one.

I tried running the .run file using "sh /home/chris/Desktop/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-8178-pkg2.run" (under su) and it told me I had to be out of x server in order to install it. This (at least to me this early on) is a bit to much methinks. I'm just worried that once I get it out of the nice, safe GUI I wont be able to get back in.

after more searching I came up with http://www.patheticcockroach.com/mpam4/index.php?p=36

I don't trust myself to do all that but incase somebody is having the same issues I am that seems to be a useful page to read.

getting in and out of X should be easy:

To get out (first make sure you have saved all work and closed all applications, then) as root, do "/etc/init.d/gdm stop". You might have to replace gdm with either kdm or xdm. To get back in, do "/etc/init.d/gdm start" (or, again, kdm or xdm--start the one you stopped).

If all else fails, reboot. If you're really paranoid, you might want a text-mode browser so you can talk to the world without X, just in case X won't start on reboot (I can't possibly imagine how this would happen, and if you follow my instructions and it does happen, it most likely a bug in something; the most likely reason for it to happen, as I see it, is that the nvidia drivers are buggy--they're not free as in freedom, so there you have it). Anyways, text browsers. I have only good things to say about elinks (you scroll sideways with the brackets, open the menu with escape, the rest is easily discoverable).

hth --Jonas