Well I'll throw in a second opinion just for fun. I think installing from source might be a good way to start getting comfortable with Linux in the first place. I can't see how it's a bad thing to learn how to use the command line, switches, see what's actually going on, etc. If you get errors and can't figure it out or an rpm is already available, that's fine, but it can't hurt to learn how to install from source. As far as package management tools go, I would recommend checkinstall when installing from source as it provides a way to treat it like a package, uninstall it, etc.

Well, it kind of depends on the attitude of the newbie. I was getting more of a panicked "I can't do this; why is it so difficult?" vibe instead of a "Can you teach me all the ways to install software, so I can truly understand the OS?" vibe. In the end, it's good to know both how to use package managers and install from source. It's all about the options, and so far it seemed the only option presented was tar.

I have no idea why I am no grasping this. Ok this is what I got in the Terminal Program:

[violentj@localhost violentj]$ cd /home
[violentj@localhost home]$ dir
violentj
[violentj@localhost home]$ cd /home/violentj
[violentj@localhost violentj]$ dir
Desktop firefox-1.0.4.installer.tar.gz kopete-0.10.1.tar.bz2 tmp
[violentj@localhost violentj]$ tar zxvf firefoxfirefox-1.0.4.installer.tar.gz
tar: firefoxfirefox-1.0.4.installer.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
[violentj@localhost violentj]$

I copied and pasted the file name into it to no avail. I am sure once I spend a little time with Linux this will seem silly but right now I am so lost.

How do I type something into Konsole as "root". I am supposed to type this into root:

urpmi.addmedia main ftp://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/dist...586/media/main with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia contrib ftp://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/dist.../media/contrib with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia plf-free ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/plf/mandrake/free/10.1 with hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia --update updates ftp://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/dist.../main_updates/ with media_info/hdlist.cz

But this is what I got:

bash: urpmi.addmedia: command not found

I can't even install Urpmi so I can install other software ha ha. Hmm.

First, it looks like you're typing "firefoxfirefox..." instead of "firefox...." That would explain why it can't find the file. (Another note, on the side, is that "ls" is the normal command to list files, although "dir" works too). To run a command as root you become root by typing "su" and entering the root password, and typing "exit" to become your user again when you're done. You need to install urpmi first though before those commands will work.

Thanks for pointing out the type jrdioko, I have now installed FireFox woo hoo.

Question though, it didn't put an icon on the desktop, "Start" menu or quick launch section. How do I launch the program and how do I make shortcuts. I went into the installed directory and there isn't a Firefox exe launcher.

Hi,
If you're in KDE, try 'KAppFinder' : it will ask if you want to put some
newly-installed apps in your menus.

Hope it helps
cheers

Yeah I am using KDE but I went through all the menus and can't find a KAppFinder, where would I find that program?

KDE Application Finder KDE is a powerful Open Source graphical desktop environment for Unix workstations. It combines ease of use, contemporary functionality, and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the Unix operating system. . kappfinder searches your workstation for many common applications and creates menu entries for them. . This package is part of the official KDE base module.

try 'kappfinder'. If you don't have it, check in RPMDrake, if it's there install it, or d/load it. It's quite useful.
It's really strange you can't use urpmi, according to your posts. It is installed by default when you install..

Perhaps you should re-install the OS. Just a thought.. Mandriva is a bit tricky sometimes...

cheers

The Urpmi website is weird, you choose your version of Linux, check what you want to download and when you hit Setup 3 or something (I am at work so I don't know exactly what it said) it tells you to type stuff into Konsole but it never once downloaded anything. Why have me choose my linux and hit the button, choose what to download and hit the button (no downloading happens) and it tells me to enter stuff into Konsole which errors out because nothing was downloaded.

I just checked every single menu and I don't have Urpmi or KAppFinder is not listed. These should have been installed when I installed Mandrake 10.1 Official DVD?

GameGuru,

The commands you are trying are not working because to need "to be root" ie execute the commands as the superuser (aka root).

To become root:

Open a terminal
Type
su - (that is a minus sign)

Enter the password that you gave when you installed (you DO remember it I hope).

Now you will see that your prompt has changed from $ to #. You are root. The commands will work. Once you have done what you want, revert to being a normal user before you mess things up in a big way. To exit from being root, type

exit

In the root terminal.

Ok I went into root and typed kappfinder and it brought it up! I then hit SCAN but the only webbrowser it found was something called "epiphany". Now I know I installed Firefox because it actually brought up the Firefox installer and I did the NEXT thing like in windows and when done it autolaunched Firefox. Why isn't kappfinder finding firefox so I can make a shortcut for it.

You probably installed firefox as a regular user, so it will be somewhere off your home directory, and kappfinder may not be looking for it there.

Now you know how to become root, you should try installing firefox as root, that way it will be put in its proper place in the filesystem, and will appear on ALL you users menus.

The easiest way is, of course, to use urpmi, so go and get that configured from the easy urpmi site (this copy & paste step basically tells urpmi where to go looking for the software you want to install) and then use urpmi:

urpmi firefox

Ok I deleted the firefox installer directory, switched to root (su and password), loaded Konsole and went to /home/violentj/firefox-installer directory and typed

urpmi firefox-installer

and it gave me a

no package named firefox-installer

The first time I installed firefox it wasn't in root and I typed ./firefox-installer and it had installed but was wrong because it wasn't root and made no shortcuts.

What should I do now?