Installing applications on RedHat Linux - Shrike
 

First off, i apoligize for my awfull spelling (dont have a word prossesor installed yet).

Secondly i am rather experianced with Windows (mostaly 2000 Profeshonal) but desided to try out Linux. I was recomended to try RedHat Shrike (version is the one with the -8 at the end).

Anyhow got it installed ok and just trying to figure out how to install stuff. I got a media player i wana install (.rpm) as well as other .rpm files, i cant get internet working in Linux because i dont know how to install hardware yet, so i burned these files to a CD (Downloaded them with win2k). Anyhow i tryed to run the files in linux from the cd and it gave me a permitions error. so i copyed it to the hard disc and tryed and got the same error.

(SIDE NOTE: when it asked to make an account i told it not to cause im the only person who is ever gana use it. so i just log in as root)

Any help would be appriciated.
-Monkeysee

Ok, a couple of things:

1. This is my personal suggestion, and it is made by others as well: don't use the root account exclusively. There are many reasons why not to, but here's the more important one: as you are getting used to Linux, you are bound to make a mistake. If you are root, then you run the risk of damaging the entire system. Using a normal account means you have to manually switch to root before executing something; that means you've given it some thought.

2. Red Hat contains what's called a package manager, hence the .rpm file extension. If you are in a GUI environment (such as Gnome of KDE), then you can double-click the package from a file window. It will install the software for you. If you aren't in a GUI, you can still get at it, but I won't go into the details about that unless you need it. Note that when you install it, it will not add an icon to the Red Hat menu. You have to do that yourself. You can launch it without the icon By using the "Run Command" dialog if you know what the program filename is.

3. A CD filesystem does not have the concept of permissions like in Linux. So, when you copied the files from the CD to your hard drive, Linux assumed some default permissions. Those defaults do not include the ability to run the file. To make a file executable, you would need to type "chmod u+w <filename>" if the file is on the hard drive. That will allow you to run the file. Then, to actually execute the program, type "./<filename>". That will only work if you're in the same directory as the file you are trying to run.

(At the risk of sounding stupid im gana write this in what i did step by step)

1. I booted up Linux

2. I clicked the picture of the hat in the lower left

3. I clicked run

4. I typed "chmod u+w <root/install/media player/mplayer-0.90-1.athlon.rpm>" and pressed enter (withought quotes)

and it gave me the same permitions error. i think i screwed up.

That is the exact location of the file though, no typos or anything. Thanks for helping me i have a fealing that once i get this to work than im gana understand quite a bit more about Linux.

-Monkeysee

Well, an rpm file is not an executable. So, you don't need to chmod it.

Click on the "Start Here" icon on your desktop. That should open a file browser window for the /root directory. Then navigate your way to the mplayer directory. When you get there, you should see the rpm file have a box-like icon for it. Double click that file. That will start the package manager. It might ask you a few questions (similar to a windows installer), and then go about its business. When it is finished, mplayer should be installed. To run it, do the "Run Command" thing again, and type "mplayer".

If you see any error messages, make a note of them, and post them as part of the reply.

As for the chmod command you tried, that was my mistake. I didn't clarify what I wanted you to type AND I screwed up the command. It should have been:
The original reference to "<filename>" meant substitute the path to the filename without the "<" and ">". You might see others make similar references. So, keep that in mind as you browse through other threads/replies... I'll try to use other conventions later.

Edit: I'm a moron... You should double-click on "root's home" rather than "start here"

ok ive made some proggress. Thanks to you Mr. Helmet. nothing sucsesfully installed yet, however im getting closer. I found this thing where im soposed to type commands (kinda dos style), so that helps. Anyhow ive been trying to install 2 things. first off a media player that can play Divx files and such but the midea player i keep trying to install keeps saying i need package 0.9 installed. and i cant find that anywhere. (i need the 505 codec for sure) and a program that will let me listen to MP3's found one and installed it but it plays like the first tenth a second and than frezzes. anyhow if someone would be so kind as to post a link to the file(s) i would want that would be awsome.

im running Linux Shrike 2.4.20-8

(and if i need to remove the MP3 thing i tryed to install i would appriciate the command. however if i can install over it thats just as good ;) )

Thank YOU for your help,
-Monkeysee

What you came across is a shell, or command line. Yeah, it's a bit like DOS.

Ok, about the MP3 player. You probably already have something on your machine that will work. It's called XMMS. It looks a LOT like Winamp. You can try running it from the command line. Type: xmms &

The "&" tells the program to run in the background. If you leave that off, you won't be able to type anymore commands until you close XMMS. If the prompt comes back with a message along the lines of "command not found" then XMMS wasn't installed with the options chosen at installation. You can download XMMS as a package from the link listed below if that is the case.

Now, before you can actually play MP3s, you need to download an XMMS plugin. Red Hat chose to remove MP3 support in their distributions for some reason. Go to the web page below and download the very first link at the top of the page.

MP3 package for Red Hat

When you click the link, choose to save it to disk, and then remember the path/directory you save it to. Now, when you download the package, you install it like any other. Since you've found the command line, we can try installing it from there.

So, I'll assume you downloaded the MP3 package. Now, change to the directory you downloaded the file do. Type: ls -l
Make sure you see the filename in the list that comes up.

Then install the package by typing: rpm -i xmms-mpg123-1.2.7-21.i386.rpm

rpm is the package manager, the "-i" tells the package manager you want to install a package, and the list item is the package itself of course.

That should install the MP3 support for XMMS. If you started XMMS earlier, close it, and restart. You should be able to play MP3s now.

If you can into any errors, then post them in a reply and we can work through them.

Similarly, for mplayer, go to the directory that has the package file, and type: rpm -i mplayer-0.90-1.athlon.rpm

Again, if you get any errors, post them in a reply exactly as you see them on the command line. We'll get you going full-speed pretty quickly.

I successfully got that media player working. My friend TeRG helped me a lot though. I can’t get the interface working but I can operate it through the prompt.

Anyhow thanks for all your help Dark Helmet, and I am grateful for your further assistance. I installed that MP3thing. And it installed fine; however it only plays the first couple of notes (specifically when the XMMS player says 0:01 seconds) and than stops playing sound. And than soon freezes. I’ve been messing with this for a while now and found that Audio CDs play fine in XMMS player, however I would very much like my MP3s to work, thanks for your help.

-Monkeysee

What sound card are you running?

PS. sorry for being nosey, im also a newbie of sorts.

Also the root point is an important one, make a user account ASAP, i lost my first installation cos of running in root all the time. rm / , not a good command in root.

Ya I already made a user account thingy. I’m using a Advance AC’97 something or other. It’s integrated on my ASUS V78X. Linux detected the card on installation and the test sound worked. So happy? Well if anyone knows the anywhere to this MP3 problem I would appreciate it.

-Monkeysee

its definetly a weird one, i have an asrock (Asus subsidary) board with ac97 that i built the other week and it plays mp3s ok. And i have several other machines using ac97 with rh9 on them.

the only prob i have is it is crackley occaisonally.

Best advice is get a sbpci or sb live (one with emu 10k chip). i have a soundblaster 128 pci and it runs crystal clear on that, and i have many friends who use live cards.

Have u searched google for any incompatibilities with redhat, ur board, and playback of mp3s.

try this
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22ac...=opera&num=100

i cant get a new soundcard because im poor. :'(

i dont think its in incombatability i think its just i did something wrong installing the plugin.

-Monkeysee

We've all started somewhere right? There really isn't anyone stupid, especially if you are trying things out, how else are you supposed to learn?

For your sound:

Post up the results of:
lspci -v | grep Multimedia (as root)

This will give us an idea of what soundcard we are working with here. In the meantime, I love to suggest looking at www.alsa-project.org It's a great piece of software, and has excellent instructions on setting it all up.

:)

Cool