widda

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Thanks Jim.
Apologies to whomsoever for my premature description of this thread as irrelevant, I hadn't seen the other pages, o dear.

widda

hi Jim. Well, no progress with tarballs. the link was to "Installing software from source code".
Aren't tarballs something else.
Not having much success with the old bitumenballs, although I haven't had unlimited time for research.
If anyone knows anywhere else where there even might be a complete description of what to do with them once you've got 'em, please, drop me a link?
I'm doing well on several other fronts, and looking forward to giving help, as well as receiving.
Certainly at the stage now of great admiration for Linux's QUALITY.
My computer is beginning to feel like a computer, and not just a Mcrsft Outlet.

widda

This on page 12 here looks good, but I'm not sure if I've made a live link or not.

By the way, it just jumped up!when I pressed Submit on my new post bewailing inability to find any links to thorough instructions for tarballs! - which I therefore no longer need to post.

Is that a highly sensitive intelligent forum, or just regular spooky stuff?

widda

Well, I clearly don't know what I'm doing, but here it is, from Zulfilee, April 2004, hope it's still relevant, it's my next target anyway.

And I hope my blundering about in this thread is providing some amusement for the more experienced


"For RPM

rpm -ivh packagename -> TO install package

rpm -qip packagename ->To view package information before install

rpm -e packagename ->To uninstall package

rpm -q package ->To view if package is already inastalled




For tar.gz and tgz Both are same files with different extensions.

less filename ->TO view contents

tar -zxvf filename ->To untar the files

And if it has a READ me follow it for install[Normally ./configure , make and make
install is used .But see READme first before installing]"

jkerr82508

Some tarballs include source code. Others may include binaries. You need to extract the contents of the tarball (usually to a folder) and examine the contents. There is usually a README or other text file that will explain how to proceed. When you download a tarball the site from which you download will usually make clear whether or not it is source code. It is rarely necessary to use tarballs of any kind to install software on Mandriva, since there are thousands of software packages available in the Mandriva repo's.

Jim

widda

ok, will check my tars and see if i have equiv. or identical in repositories, and no more tars maybe. cool!

widda

I did find an extracted version of one of them, and found readme, and it said, for linux, so simple, just run ./configure --with-mp4v2 , su root, sudo make install
Results - no such file, command not found.
Not that I'm expecting to be spoonfed, just lettin you know where I am with what no doubt are extremely plain and simple instructions.
I'm off to repositories.

widda

Originally Posted by jkerr82508
"... You need to extract the contents of the tarball (usually to a folder) and examine the contents. There is usually a README or other text file that will explain how to proceed...."

OK: From the top.
I have a tar file in Home. or home.
I have extracted it in same directory and it is there as a normal looking folder.
I have examined its entrails.
(looking for what in windows would be the .exe file which I would maybe link to the desktop, or run program right there by clicking .exe file.)
But so far, no good. No relevant readme either.
I get the feeling that tarfiles are somewhat disapproved of by the Linux users, but I can't get a similar program (kastrolog) from repositories,
and if anyone could help me to get at this bitumenized download, I may never download one again.
I seem to have my own thread going on here - if no-one ever arrives out here in Tarball Territory, I may make this my own little blog on the delights of tarball collecting.