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How do I uncompile .tar files

Im a newbie.
I am trying to fix my cdrom and dvd player so I can use them. I have searched for files on the internet and I downloaded xmms 1.2.10.tar.gz now I need to know the three commands,( I think it is 3) that you use to decompress and install the program. I looked all over this site to see if anyone had asked this yet, didnt find one. I was told all linux distributions come with broke multimedia because of copywrite laws. I just need to know how to fix it, and please treat me like I dont know anything, I dont when it comes to linux. I am using suse 9.3 on a dell laptop latitude 110l with 500 megs of ram.
:newbie:

tar xzvf tarfile
cd to new dir
./configure
make
su
make install

tar zxvf yourTarFile-1.2.3.tar.gz

As always, consult your local man page:

man tar

--- rod

Quote:

I was told all linux distributions come with broke multimedia because of copywrite laws.

No, that is not the case with all distributions, but most of them. Basically if you create a distribution for yourself, nobody would even know if you made it include all the codecs right out of the box (for example).

Anyway, first of all you should use your distributions package manager to install XMMS (for example that program). It is a lot easier, and if XMMS has dependencies (other software it needs, but is not installed yet), package manager will download and install them too. Your distribution's package manager should be found in the menus, under "System" or "Configure" or something; here are a few examples:

- RedHats/Fedora (nowadays) uses usually yum
- Debian uses apt
- SuSE uses YaST to handle software updates and installations (use it!)
- Archlinux uses pacman
- ...

That is the preferred way. If you intend to compile software, there are surely tons of documentation about how it is done. Search again :)

Even for installing software under SuSE using YaST is documented. There are probably numerous posts here at LQ. Search again :)

Basically I think (haven't used SuSE, but..correct me) you just open YaST, from within it somekind of package management or software updates or something like that, you should find a list of available programs there, click one you desire (XMMS) and apply changes. That's the procedure, rudely, almost on any graphical package tool. YaST has documentation too, so refer to it. XMMS should include mp3 etc. support, but it's available on the net too (check their site xmms.org).

Type

Code:

 

$tar -zxvpf NameOfFile.tar.gz

$cd NameOfFile

$less README

Make sure you look at the README file. This will show you how to install. I have xmms-1.2.8 the install instructions are as follows:

Code:

 

$cd xmms-1.2.8

$./configure

$make

$make install

Always read the README file be before installing any new programs

If you have a distro that was downloaded, the version of xmms, audacity, xine, mplayer, etc. may not support mp3 or dvd playback. Often there is a repository that you want to use to install these programs instead. If you can add this source to your installation program, e.g. YaST2 in SuSE, you could have the dependencies resolved for you automatically. If you have an RPM based distro, you could go the the rpm.pbone.org website; select your distro in the advanced search; select other as well for your distro; and search for a package such as xmms. The link to the package is probably a full repository, which you can add as a source.