LinuxQuestions.org

LinuxQuestions.org (/questions/)
-   Linux - Newbie (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/)
-   -   Installing a .tar.gz file (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/installing-a-tar-gz-file-803483/)

Chriscrof 04-22-2010 05:08 AM

Installing a .tar.gz file
 
I am running Ubuntu 9.10 and had hoped to use Synaptic to find and install Truecrypt. As Synaptic couldn't find it I downloaded it from http://truecrypt.org. In case it helps the file is called "truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar.gz".

Apart from not knowing how to get a working program from the .tar.gz file, I don't know whether the installation process sorts out where the file should go and puts it there, or whether I have to create a directory for it and put it there myself.

Could someone help me, please?

EricTRA 04-22-2010 05:10 AM

Hello,

You'll find this post very helpfull :)

Kind regards,

Eric

linuxunix 04-22-2010 05:18 AM

gunzip truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar.gz
tar xvf truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar
cd truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86
./configure
make
make install

EricTRA 04-22-2010 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxunix (Post 3943813)
gunzip truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar.gz
tar xvf truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar
cd truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86
./configure
make
make install

Hi,

The package normally contains an Ubuntu installer as referenced to in the link I posted. This way of installing should be way easier for the OP.

Kind regards,

Eric

salasi 04-22-2010 06:25 AM

As a general piece of advice, .tar.gz files are, in reverse order, 'gzipped' and 'tared'.

That is, the author has taken several files and used the utility tar to make one big file out of them, and then used gzip to compress that file. To reverse this process, you would start by unzipping and then untar.

However:
  • almost always, utilities and programs distributed in this way come with a 'README' file, and that file contains detailed instructions on the install
  • some browsers (eg, konqueror) can 'transparently' descend into files like this, so that you can double-click your way to the README and read it, without any of the messy untarring and unzipping (if you wish)
  • EricTRA is almost certainly correct in his comments
  • Often, you have only not found the program with your package manager, because you have not enabled some additional repositories. I do not know Ubuntu 9.10, but I'm almost certain that a google (or other) search for 'additional repositories Ubuntu 9.10' will turn up a tutorial or something with further information

Chriscrof 04-22-2010 11:00 AM

Thank you all for your replies. I read the posts that you mentioned, EricTRA but decided to try linuxunix's method; but I only got as far as:

cd truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86

and then I got an error message saying "No such file or directory"

However, I have found a file truecrypt-6.3a-setup-x86 in my home folder and am not sure what to do next.

As far as I can tell salasi, there isn't a 'readme' file with this package; it might have been helpful if there had been.

salasi 04-22-2010 05:57 PM

Here there is a tutorial for an earlier version of Ubuntu.

With regard to what you have already, it looks as if that is a combined install script, set of licenses and binary program and that you have successfully extracted it from the .tar.gz file. My guess is that if you execute it, it will go into an installer, but I could be horribly mistaken...

EricTRA 04-23-2010 12:41 AM

Hello,

I just downloaded the file truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar.gz from the http://truecrypt.org. Running the following command in a terminal got the program installed without any errors. Commands are to be executed in the directory where you downloaded the file of course.
Code:

tar xvzf truecrypt-6.3a-linux-x86.tar.gz
chmod +x truecrypt-6.3a-setup-x86
./truecrypt-6.3a-setup-x86

The first command extracts the contents of the tar.gz package. The second one sets execution permissions on the setup file and the third command launches the installer. It's very straightforward and after accepting the license in very little time it's installed.

I assume it needs an X environment because I installed it on a test server which runs Debian but when trying to run
Code:

truecrypt -h
I got errors referring to shared libraries that appear to belong to an X environment. If you encounter those errors too if you run a GUI, then we can take it from there to solve the problem(s).

Kind regards,

Eric

Chriscrof 04-23-2010 07:48 AM

Hello Eric,

Thanks for your help and for going to the trouble of installing it on your own system. I followed your code and it installed itself with no further ado.

Thanks again

Regards,

Chris

EricTRA 04-23-2010 10:19 AM

Hi Chris,

No trouble at all, I'm glad it worked out. Have fun with Linux.

If you consider your question/problem solved, then please mark this thread as such using the Thread Tools.

Kind regards,

Eric

Chriscrof 04-24-2010 07:57 AM

The problem is now solved but I don't know about how to use Thread Tools

MTK358 04-24-2010 07:58 AM

Look above the first post.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:16 AM.