how do i install the software?
 

I have a CentOS 5.2 box. I downloaded the ntop3.3.8.tar.gz file from sourceforge. I extracted the contents of that package to my desktop. Pardon my ignorance, but how do I install it? I'm assuming since I downloaded the binary version instead of the source version that I don't need to compile it? I still don't know how to install it though. I see a install-sh file in the extracted folder contents... What am I not seeing or doing right?

I'd being will to bet you downloaded the source code. Most archives in tar.gz or tar.bz2 format are source code. I went to the ntop website, followed the link to sourceforge and didn't see any binary packages. Looks like you'll have to build it from source if ntop isn't in the CentOS repositories. The instructions are included in the tarball, just see the README file.

tar.gz packages usually include a README or INSTALL files which gives instructions how to install the package.

If the package doesn't contain the files named above, go back to the site from which you downloaded the file to see if you can find install instructions there.

Failing that, open a console and su to root, then cd to the desktop folder in which you unpacked the package, then run the install script with this command: ./install.sh.

The leading ./ tell the bash shell "in this folder, run this script".

Or, in the console, you can run the script from anywhere be giving the full path to the script. So, it you are in your home folder, the command would be: ~/Desktop/folder/install.sh

If the script needs to write to directories not normally open to the logged in users, you would have to run the script as root. If the entire script will be installed and run from your home folder, you can do that as user.

Well first you need to extract the file by using the following
then check for the install file. If you see it then type in the following.
if you don't see the install.sh then you have to manually compile it.
But normally if you downloaded the binary for Cent OS it will come as a .rpm

No, don't execute install-sh. The install-sh script is provided by Automake and is a replacement for the install program that works on platforms where install is unavailable or unusable. IIRC, it is used to a large extent on BSD systems, but it's not likely that you'll need it on a Linux box. Just read the README file which does exist in the ntop archive.

Instead, you should do the following:
<CODE>
./configure
make
su (then enter password)
make install
</CODE>
if configure says something like "Error: importantotherpackagefile.h not found."
then install the necessary package.
sometimes make will exit with an error, though it's uncommon.
Best of luck!

Ug. This is why I'm confused. Two people here tell me to run the install-sh, two other people say DONT run that, and another person that says do something that I haven't seen anywhere in the documentation.

When looking at the extracted contents of the .tar.gz file, there is a readme. It basically says, "For instructions on how to build ntop from source, see docs/BUILD-NTOP.txt (*nix)." Ok, so I go to the /docs directory and there's a file called RedHat-rpmbuild-howto.txt.

That document did nothing but confuse me.. it talks about 3 options?
1) UML
2) buildmeister
3) VPC

Huh? Am I supposed to pick one of those? Confused...


What's more confusing is, on the http://www.ntop.org/download.html page, it says that after downloading the source, you need to:
"Now you need to compile ntop:

1. cd ntop
2. ./autogen.sh
3. make
4. make install "

That is totally different than what it's saying to do in the redhat-rpmbuild-howto.txt file which talks about uml, buildmeister and vpc. If I TRY doing those four steps, it errors out running "./autogen.sh" with the following, "configure: error: Unable to find RRD at /usr/local/rrdtool: please use --with-rrd-home=DIR"



Can someone clarify what I'm supposed to do? I can't understand why this seems so difficult.

ok, I just downloaded the package. Here's what the readme says:

"Briefly, the shell commands `./configure; make; make install' should
configure, build, and install this package. The following
more-detailed instructions are generic; see the `README' file for
instructions specific to this package."

Just note that you'll have to su to root for the make install if you want to install.
Anyway, you can try pretty much anything you want without hurting things as long as you're not root, and make install can never hurt anything.

my previously listed building instructions always work for me, so why don't you try them?

sorry glitch in computer sent stuff twice. :$

Well... installing from source (and eventually building a RPM) is always a good exercise. However, take in mind that a RPM package of ntop is available for Centos 5.2 if you enable the RPMForge repository. Current version is ntop-3.3.8.

chickenlinux,
your README says that? mine doesn't. are you sure you're looking at the README file? Or am I going crazy here...

colucix,
Can you explain the rpmforge repository more? what is it? how is it enabled?

oh, and btw, i did try ./configure, but it errors out with:

configure: error: Unable to find RRD at /usr/local/rrdtool: please use --with-rrd-home=DIR
[root@centos1 ntop-3.3.8]#

am i supposed to use ./configure --with-rrd-home=/root ?? or something else?

RPMForge is a 3rd party repository you can chose to install/enable on your CentOS machine. More details here, on the CentOS wiki. Follow the link to the instructions on how to install the repo. Basically you have to install a RPM which provides the repository configuration file (you will find it in /etc/yum.repos.d) and eventually setup the priorities as explained on the wiki. It is more complicate to tell than to do.

Once you have RPMForge enabled, just do
and the trick is done.

Arg. Can anyone help with this error when I try and run ./configure?

If I run "./configure", then i get this error, "configure: error: Unable to find RRD at /usr/local/rrdtool: please use --with-rrd-home=DIR"

but I have NO /usr/local/rrdtool file, but I did find a /usr/bin/rrdtool file.

So I ran "./configure --with-rrd-home=/usr/bin", then i get this error, "configure: error: Unable to find RRD at /usr/bin: please use --with-rrd-home=DIR"


What am I supposed to do?

(I want to try getting this to work using the source, just for experience I guess...)

Can't help you there, I have never got this to work right :$