LinuxQuestions.org

LinuxQuestions.org (/questions/)
-   Linux - Newbie (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/)
-   -   The exe. files (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/the-exe-files-306866/)

InterestingDave 03-27-2005 11:33 PM

The exe. files
 
Hi everyone,

My name is Dave and I am an MSoholic (wow, I feel better already just for saying that). I started with just a little social use of DOS and now it's got so bad that I can't get by without using XP every day. I even had to use XP to come here and say this.:o

It got to the stage where I was blowing all of my money on MS and then I heard that I might be able to use Linux to break my habit. Twenty-five of my English pounds seemed a small price to pay to try and break my habit, so I bought a box of Suse Linux (the personal kind).

My problems are not over yet though, I never realised how dependant on MS I had become. Curing myself with Linux isn't as easy as I thought that it would be.

My first problem is that I can't even load drivers for myself, I usually have a little XP and everything just falls into place. Linux doesn't seem to have .exe files that will just do everything for me, I have got to start doing stuff for myself. Can't I just run something that will make everything alright?

I use PPPOA for the internet and connect via a USB dsl modem, apparently USB modems are frowned upon by the Linux community. Normally when I am on XP, I just run a little program and everything just feels great. I get a little icon on my desktop and I can click on it to connect.

Linux doesn't do it all for me, can anybody offer me a little help? If I start using XP regularily again, I'm sure that my friends and family are going to turn their backs on me.:(

Dave

Thoreau 03-27-2005 11:36 PM

I'm sorry. What's the question? Please be specific. List your OS and hardware, and of course, the problem.

InterestingDave 03-27-2005 11:53 PM

OOPS! Sorry for trying to be humerous, that's just how I am.

I am running SUSE personal (2.6.4-52) on a Shuttle XPC with a Pentium 4. I have a Sagem USB dsl modem, for which I have the Linux drivers sitting in a documents file in my home directory.

My question is, does linux have such a thing as .exe files that will do the install for me? Is the only way to do it to configure things manually? I am getting the usual errors that I have read about other newbies getting, but I can't seem to get the right directory name to put the driver file into.

I have tried opening a konsole in KDE, using the su command to become root and then loading the driver into the correct directory, but I just can't seem to get the right directory name.

Thoreau 03-27-2005 11:57 PM

More information needed. What is the exact model of your motherboard.

InterestingDave 03-28-2005 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Thoreau
More information needed. What is the exact model of your motherboard.
Shuttle's own brand SB51 with an Intel 845 chipset. Why do you need this? Suse Personal is a very user friendly distro and everything else is up and running apart from my dsl internet connection and sound (I read an earlier thread on this and think that I just need to wrestle sound control from KDE sound).

__J 03-28-2005 12:25 AM

how is the driver distributed ( source or binary) - the binary drivers ( no compilation needed) MUST be compiled against the same kernel you are running ( some drivers come this way, compiled against the default Suse or Mandrake or whatever kernel. as long as you are using this kernel and do not modify it, you are fine. But compile your own kernel or just change a few options with the default one and the driver will refuse to load).

linux does not use different filenames for different types of files ( there are exceptions). open back up that console ( konsole, xterm, gnome-terminal whatever you have handy) and type:

Code:

file <some file>
to get an idea what I mean. As far as your specific problem, it depends on what you have for your modem. Some vendors release the source code you have to manually compile and install, while others like nvidia or ati release binary drivers that have a kernel interface layer that must be compiled, but the come in a "all-in-one" installer.

post back either what you have ( the driver) or where you downloaded it from ( and it wouldn't hurt to post the errors you are getting also).

nadroj 03-28-2005 12:26 AM

you said you have the drivers or installation file for the modem driver in your home directory, right? what errors are you getting when your trying to do what you mentioned? what directory(ies) is(are) involved? what commands do you enter when you become root? where did you download the driver from.. maybe there is a help file or walkthrough on that site, or in the manual that came with it?
i think these details are a necessity.

ksgill 03-28-2005 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by InterestingDave
OOPS! Sorry for trying to be humerous, that's just how I am.

I am running SUSE personal (2.6.4-52) on a Shuttle XPC with a Pentium 4. I have a Sagem USB dsl modem, for which I have the Linux drivers sitting in a documents file in my home directory.

My question is, does linux have such a thing as .exe files that will do the install for me? Is the only way to do it to configure things manually? I am getting the usual errors that I have read about other newbies getting, but I can't seem to get the right directory name to put the driver file into.

I have tried opening a konsole in KDE, using the su command to become root and then loading the driver into the correct directory, but I just can't seem to get the right directory name.

.exe files are windows executables, they will definately not work with linux. You would need to download linux native drivers (if the drivers taht came with Suse havent already picked up all of your hardware. Depending on what you are having problem with, it could be as easy as using YAST (should be in the System menu) to configure your system. Now, what are you trying to install exactly? USB modem might have been picked up automatically. Go on the Suse start menu, system (I think) and then start YAST. Then you can go into networking tab and see if it was picked up automatically or not.

PrOeliuM 03-28-2005 12:47 AM

I'll just add that you while you may run .exe files in windows to install programs, Linux often uses shell scripts (typically end in .sh) to install programs. There are various ways of installing packages that are much simpler such as rpm, apt-get, portage which are all package management systems, but if it comes down to it and you have a shell script you would execute it by doing so:
sh nameofscript.sh
at the command line.

InterestingDave 03-28-2005 12:57 AM

I got the drivers from here

Sagem site

There doesn't seem to be an automatic installer with the files, or maybe I just don't know what I am looking for.:confused:

I saved the files to my documents folder in my home directory and navigated my way to them using the Konquerer file browser. There are two files that I need to intall, the main driver and the PPPOA file.

I then opened a konsole and used the su command to become root. The instructions in the readme file say to copy the driver file directly to my kernel directory, that is where things go wrong. It says to look up your exact kernel version, mine is 2.6.4-52-default. Whatever I type in for the version, I get an error telling me that the directory does not exist.

I know that there is an attempt being made to write the driver file to the directory, because I get some dialogue before the error saying, "Welcome to the Sagem fast 800 set up". It then gives the error message. The readme said to install the file to, "linux <your exact kernel version here>".

I have tried putting everything that I think could possibly be the correct directory name (linux 2.6.4-52-default, 2.6.4-52-suse etc.), but it keeps coming back with the directory does not exist error.

InterestingDave 03-28-2005 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PrOeliuM
I'll just add that you while you may run .exe files in windows to install programs, Linux often uses shell scripts (typically end in .sh) to install programs. There are various ways of installing packages that are much simpler such as rpm, apt-get, portage which are all package management systems, but if it comes down to it and you have a shell script you would execute it by doing so:
sh nameofscript.sh
at the command line.

This could well be my answer. There is a shellscript file with the drivers, but I didn't know how to execute it. :o

Thanks for that and thanks to everyone else for your help.:)

This is easily the most useful forum that I have ever used.:)

__J 03-28-2005 01:17 AM

first make sure you have the following on your system ( check with Yast ):

kernel-source
gcc
make


make sure the kernel source version matches the kernel you are running ( type "uname -r" (without the quotes) in a console to find out what kernel version you are currently running). this driver does not specify in the readme if it is for 2.4 or 2.6 ( or both), so we'll just have to try and see. extract the zip file, go into the eagle-usb-src directory and read the file "readme" - it has instructions on what you need to do. make sure you have those packages above before you start.

ksgill 03-28-2005 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by InterestingDave
This could well be my answer. There is a shellscript file with the drivers, but I didn't know how to execute it. :o

Thanks for that and thanks to everyone else for your help.:)

This is easily the most useful forum that I have ever used.:)

1) Locate the file ending with .sh and make it executable like this:
chmod +x file_name.sh
2) execute it by:
sh file_name.sh
OR
./file_name.sh

InterestingDave 03-28-2005 01:29 PM

After a brief period of elation at having made the switch from MS, I am now getting seriously ****ed off! :mad:

Novell no longer support the distro that I have purchased and their support site is terrible anyway.:( There is no support for my Lexmark all in one and Lexmark don't do linux drivers either.

I have been up since 5.30 a.m. here and despite working on this for all of the time, I still haven't sorted it. According to the uname -r command, I have 2.6.4-52 installed. I can't find the directory where this is to even provide a link to where the driver for the modem wants to install.

I am now extremely good at running script files, but it is of no use if the directory that I am trying to install into doesn't exist according to KDE. Do you get a lot of Suse users that only last about a day?;)

Orkie 03-28-2005 01:35 PM

Finally, you reveal that you are attempting to install a printer driver :). Pop over to www.linuxprinting.org and have a look around there.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:14 AM.