My first post (Linux beginner). Mandrake 9.1 on a i586.

After you install additional software (RPM packages) how do you find them? I have installed three okay and they have disappeared. No entries on the menu and they don't appear in the run list.

1. Where do they install to?
2. What is the Linux equivalent of a .exe file?
3. How do I find them, to run them?
4. Which file do I link to for the GUI menu

Keep the answer basic as it took me two days to figure out that the docs meant username "root" and not the root of the drive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Software in linux installs a little differently that in Windows/Mac.

In Windows, the whole program (executable, libraries, docs) are all in one folder, usually in Program Files.

In Linux, libraries, binaries (the executables) and docs or "man" pages are all stored in seperate locations.

libraries are stored in /lib folders, usually: /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib

binaries in /bin folders, usually: /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin

man pages in /usr/man ,etc.


Your user has whats known as a PATH. Its a variable that tells the commandline where to look for program names you type. Your PATH is already set to the common directories (to check in, type "echo $PATH"). You can add more entried if you install a program to a strange location.

because of this, all you have to do to run a program (usually) is type the programe name into a console.

to run mozilla, type "mozilla" into a console, to run gaim, type "gaim".

Keep in mind linux is Case Sensitive, and the program name is usually in lowercase.


To find out exactly where a program is, type:

whereis "program"

to find info about that program:

man "program/command"


Edit:

The equivalent of a windows .exe is a binary. In linux, extensions are irrelevent, but the common extension is .bin, though any file in /bin directories are binaries.

Edit 2:

Also, Linux doesnt have a registry to store settings, it stores them in regular text files.

There are usually either hidden in your home directory (hidden dirs/files have periods before them) or in /etc for systemwide settings.