How do I carry out updates in Linux?
 

Hi there. I am running Linpus Linux Lite v1.0.9.E, and I need to update Adobe flash player, and when I go to update it, I get a choice of updates - YUM for linux, .tar.gz for linux and .rpm for linux. Now, I have two questions - (and please bear in mind when replying, I am a total novice at this as I am more used to windows but i am now trying to use linux instead)
1) Which one do I need to download, or does it not matter
2) When I download it, how do I actually install the update on my computer? It tries to open it with a choice of applications, but then asks for a password, which I do not know, but after trying to update other things, I can still not get them to install. Is there a step-by-step guide anywhere that I can follow, being a bit stupid!

as far as i know a default ( as bought) Linpus Linux Lite install you can only install things from the Linpus Linux Lite web site

you might want to remove Linpus Linux Lite and install Ubuntu

Linpus Linux Lite is ( mine and others) opinion one of the worst distros there is .

do some googling there are some forums for Linpus Lite.
http://www.linpus.com/
this one is posted a bunch
http://www.aspireoneuser.com/2008/07...pus-mode-hack/

FWIW, I fully agree with JohnVV, Linpus Lite is a horrible excuse for a Linux distro. My AOA150 runs Fedora, Ubuntu, and one or two other distros that change from month to month.

Be that as it may, For Linpus Lite, chose the rpm version. To do the actual installation, you need to give the root password. I don't recall if root even has a password on Linpus Lite; if you don't know the password, try leaving the password field blank.

If that doesn't work, sudo might. Open a terminal window and then
Be sure to use the name of your flash plugin.

I'll third the above posts:

"Linpus", now what might that mean?

"Lin" might approximately resolve to "linux". OK

"pus" seems to resolve to this

"linux" is OK. "pus" is not OK (to my mind). So perhaps "linpus" needs to sack their marketing manager, if they have one ;)

vanillaiceman, there are may other linux distros to choose from, use and experiment with.

Please look here and choose something near the top of the "Page Hit Ranking".

Have fun.

I had to look up Linpus as I never heard of it. I'm afraid you are stuck with what ever the vendor want's to supply. Why do you want to update Flash?

Why?

Just overwrite it!

I don't think many people had heard of Linpus before Acer decided to supply it on the Linux versions of their Aspire One netbooks. As for why one might want to update flash - to fix security vulnerabilities that have been reported in older versions.

MTK358, my point is that Linpus is a very specialized version of Linux as RockDoctor points out is specific to Acer's netbooks. From my brief look it does not apprear possible to install programs unless they are provided by Linpus.

He can install another distro, but I'm guessing that may be more work then this user want's to bother with, and in my opinion not worth it just to get an updated version of Flash.

Installing most distros is very easy!

My (ancient, now) Asus EEE701 came with "Xandros" to my mind, a nearly useless linux distro.

So I installed some of the 'buntus - Excellent, and everything works as it should.

I did keep a backup of Xandros, but I have never felt the need to go back to it.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe I've seen some non-Acer-branded netbooks with Linpus. I am sure that one can install Fedora 8 packages - I've done it. Linpus Lite was based on Fedora 8; Linpus added a customized boot sequence and XFCE gui, a few custom desktop apps, and a non-standard kernel module to make full use of the Jmicron multicard reader (the kernel module was submitted for inclusion into the mainline kernel and was rejected; it works with kernel 2.6.18, but not with anything resembling a recent kernel).

As is always the case, updating from any repositories other than the distro's official repositories means if such an update breaks your system, you get to keep the pieces. That includes using the latest flash plugin provided by Adobe.

I've had good luck installing recent versions of Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, and Mandriva. They all installed easily; Ubuntu and Mint need a well-documented tweak to make the card readers accessible if they're empty on boot (search on pciehp); Fedora doesn't need the tweak, and I don't recall if Mandriva needed it.

?? you can install some of the ( old and dead ) fedora 8 rpm's BUT it is "Russian roulette"
some of the old 8 rpms will KILL ( FUBAR) a limpus install and there is NO way to tell what ones until it is too late.

SO, when I download the newest version, its adobe flash player that I am trying to update, it then says to open it with the default software installer, then just seems to stop. I have downloaded the .rpm version. Is there an idiots guide to this, and even opening up the terminal had me confused for ages! Sorry for being a bit thick

see the two links in post #2

the acerone page and the limpus page

or install Ubuntu or Mint

Can't the OP just download the tar gz.
tar -xzvf it and copy the libflashplayer.so to wherever the plugins go?