i can download but i cant run anything because there is no ar file path for ark. please dont tell me to download something to get the ar file path because if i download it i can't open it and this whole chicken and egg thing is driving me nuts

How about giving us something solid to work with instead of "it don't work" type remarks.

What file did you download?
What steps did you take to install the file?
Did installation go well? Any error messages? If so, what are they?

Ark is an archive tool. It doesn't run anything: it makes archives and it opens archives.

Applications you download have to be installed (they usually have a README or INSTALL file to give instructions on installation. If not, you may be able to find such instructions from the site from which you downloaded the file.

Mandriva is an .rpm based distro. Are you using Mandriva's package management system to install applications?