Hello, I'm a MS guru and this is my first (rather expidited) usage of Linux. I have a Brand new (remote) server with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.x -64 bit. It only has a command line RHEL5. I need help with the following points please.

1. How do I connect to it? SSH? Telnet?
2. I then need to install 2 packages of R
http://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/...rh5.x86_64.rpm &
http://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/...rh5.x86_64.rpm
3. How do I go about making sure this is all done correctly?

Oh and i've got 12 hours to do this for a customer. So no pressure on me!

Ive always wanted to do Linux and nows my chance, not how I would have started but hey!

Cheers for the help.

Martin

SSH is probably the best way to get onto the box. As a rule, I usually disable direct root-logins over the network, so you may need a 'regular' user ID on that box, but maybe not.

If you log in as a 'regular' user, type in "su - root", then enter the root password. If you logged in as root, you're all set. Once you're to the "#" prompt, you are ready to install those RPM files. If you've downloaded them, you'll have to transfer them up to the Linux system. Since you're in with SSH, you probably have access to the SFTP/SCP utilities (guessing...I'm definitely NOT a Windows user. Check the docs on whatever SSH utilities you've installed). Use one of those to get the files copied up to the linux system. After that, you can use:

rpm -i <rpm file name>

to install the files. If those are upgrades to existing software, use:

rpm -i --upgrade <rpm file name>

If you get any complaints about missing dependencies, you'll have to download them, and install them too. There's lots you can do with automatic software repositories, etc., but that's a bit much to cover your first time out. Maybe some RedHat guru can give you more bits about that.

If you get stuck and need more info on the commands in Linux, just type in "man <whatever command name", and it'll give you details, options, and (sometimes), examples on how to use the command.

Hope this helps you.

Try
man yum

or google yum. Its the RH pkg mgr which should take care of dependencies automatically.
See also 'up2date' which is RH's daemon that auto updates your system when patches/updates come out for pkgs you've installed.
Note also that if this is a legal copy of RHEL, then it comes with paid-for support, so I'd recommend using it. Its quicker than waiting on us, and those guys know their systems best.

Thats great help thanks guys.

I have now gotten a bit farther but I am now receiving

warning: /var/tmp/rpm-xfer.17M6e3: Header V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 99b62126
error: Failed dependencies:
libtk8.4.so()(64bit) is needed by R-2.7.1-1.rh5.x86_64


When trying to install the first RPM.


Ive searched google but cant find alot. Its Redhat 5.x

Cheers

I never used RedHat - only tried Fedora (the free variant of RedHat).
You should take the advice and use the paid-for support.
Aside from that:
use "yum" as suggested by chrism01 - and install those packages through it.

It looks like the customer wants to install "R" - a "Language and environment for statistical computing and graphics"
Don't use the files you may have - use "yum" to install "R" and it will take care of its dependencies (for all I know...).