Hi there!
This is a REALLY newbie question...

See, I have installed the Fedora Core 5 as an alternative system to WinXP.

BUT: in my (Windows-based) mind, programs can be installed anywhere across the various file-systems. As a default, Win installs them in C:\Windows\Programs\..., but I am used to arranging them more rationally, when on installing programs ask me.

In a Linux system, I cannot understand "where" packages are installed (on the disk). For example, I have installed the Opera browser package. Everything has been carried out properly, but I just can't find the new Opera directory with the executable file. As a consequence, I am not able to manage installations, not create icons on the desktop with the right address.

Can anybody please clarify this? Thank you!

i always let it install to where its supposed to.

if you do it'll show you your path, these are the directories the shell looks in when running a command. If you type say then hit tab it will autocomplete if it finds a match if this is the case the nit is in one of the directories returned by path (probably /usr/bin anyway).

There are also some search programs you can use:

slocate locate find -

some packages like openoffice, java and such function in an insular monolithic kind of way. these applications typcially install everything into a single location, convetionally /opt/. this is about as close to "Program Files" as you'll get. Other applications do not exist in any particular location. binaries go to one place, documentation goes to another, libraries to another, configuration files etc... I don't know how Opera works in this respect, as it kinda hovers inbetween the two, but i'd not be suprised if they were in /opt/opera or similar.

Obviously you are on a learning curve with linux but you need to not expect things to work like windows, and not to look at differences automatically as a deficiency [ C: ?? what the hell does C: mean??? ]. your reference to icons and shortcuts is unfounded for a start. linux makes proper use of path statements and environmental variables. as such a standard applications binaries will be found on the system path. you do not need to care where something is installed to, you'd just run it, .e.g. just enter "firefox" and firefox browser should start.

FWIW, "whereis" locates executables. So "whereis konqueror" will tell you where the executable is:

chuck@tbird:~$ whereis konqueror
konqueror: /opt/kde/bin/konqueror

But you have to know what the name of the executable is:

chuck@tbird:~$ whereis writer
writer:
chuck@tbird:~$ whereis oowriter
oowriter:
chuck@tbird:~$ whereis OpenOffice*
OpenOffice*:
chuck@tbird:~$ whereis openoffice.org-2.0 -writer
openoffice.org-2: /usr/bin/openoffice.org-2.0 /usr/bin/openoffice.org-2.0-printeradmin

Only the last one gave me an answer. I had to go to the KDE Menu and look at the properties of the OpenOffice Writer item to get the name of the package.

Good luck.

C