Hi,

I'm a fairly new Linux (Ubuntu Natty) user and I seem to get the same problem over and over again when trying to install software from a .tar.bz2 file.

There is NEVER a ./configure or ./install file in any of the extracted software I seem to be attempting to install.

In this particular case, there isn't even a .txt document with any kind of explanation.

The software is the recently updated version of Clipgrab (youtube downloader)

So:

ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads$ tar xvjf clipgrab-3.1.0.2.tar.bz2
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_youtube.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab_de.qm
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab.ico
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_clipfish.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/licence.odt
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/COPYING
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter_copy.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_tudou.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_collegehumor.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_myvideo.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/resources.qrc
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/mainwindow.ui
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/logo-qt.png
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab_de.ts
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/mainwindow.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter_ffmpeg.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter_ffmpeg.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab.pro
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/icon.png
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_vimeo.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/windows_icon.rc
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter_copy.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_collegehumor.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_myspass.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/converter.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/logo-gpl.png
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_myspass.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/metadata-dialog.ui
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_dailymotion.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/mainwindow.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/splash.png
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/main.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_sevenload.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/logo.png
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_vimeo.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipboard_dialogue.ui
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_heuristic.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_heuristic.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_clipfish.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_myvideo.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_tudou.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_dailymotion.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab_fr.qm
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_sevenload.cpp
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/video_youtube.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab.h
clipgrab-3.1.0.2/clipgrab_fr.ts

Any ideas, based on the contents of this package, what I'm supposed to do with it to install it?

Thanks

You should look for documentation on the project's website. Looking at the website in this particular case, I couldn't find any documentation. However, there was a link to contact the developers, so I would use that.

Also, the download page has a binary that you can use, rather than getting the source code. You use the "Show all available download options" link and then choose the first option for Linux.

Thanks. I also downloaded the .bz2 file (as opposed to .tar.bz2) and could find even less to do with that file.

I extracted the file using the archive manager which gave me some kind of executable-looking file. Could be .bin... no way to tell as far as I'm aware though.

I'm happy to use the .bin (if, indeed, that's what it is)

Here is what I see after having extracted the clipgrab-3.1.0.2.bz2 with archive manager...

ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads$ cd Clipgrab_new/
ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/Clipgrab_new$ ls
clipgrab-3.1.0.2 <---- .bin??
ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/Clipgrab_new$

Set executable permissions on the file:

$ chmod +x filename

Then, you can execute it:

$ ./filename

In any case, it would be worth contacting them and telling them to provide documentation for their software. It's rather poor that they don't!

Edit: if you don't know about permissions, see this.

Thanks for that...

I still got

ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/Clipgrab_new$ chmod +x clipgrab-3.1.0.2
ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/Clipgrab_new$ ./clipgrab-3.1.0.2
./clipgrab-3.1.0.2: error while loading shared libraries: libphonon.so.4: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/Clipgrab_new$

but I'll try contacting them anyway.

Thanks again for your help.

The binary is compiled for 32-bit systems:

$ file clipgrab-3.1.0.2
clipgrab-3.1.0.2: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped

I'd assume you're running a 64-bit OS.

Ah. That would be a correct assumption!

I guess it wont work unless a 64-bit release is out there.

Ah well.

Thanks for the help

Compiling clipgrab-3.1.0.2 :

cd clipgrab-3.1.0.2/ && qmake && make

( Packages 'libqt4-dev' and 'qt4-qmake' are required.)

Example 64bit binary : clipgrab-3.1.0.2-ubuntu1010.amd64.tar.gz
Download link ...
https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B7S25...nload&hl=en_US

..

Ah yes, I didn't notice there was a .pro in there. Still, the developers should provide basic information like this to end users.

Thanks guys...

Got the 64bit version now but I'm experiencing:

ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads/clipgrab-3....ubuntu1010.amd64$ && qmake && make
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `&&'

When using:

ryan@IT-Ryan:~/Downloads$ cd clipgrab-3.1.0.2-ubuntu1010.amd64/ && qmake && make

I receive usage instructions.

The clipgrab-3.1.0.2-ubuntu1010.amd64.tar.gz is a binary :
Ready to use, just click the file 'clipgrab'.


Compilation is for the files shown in post # 1.

..

Thanks!

As I'm still on the learning curve, what kind of files should I be looking for which can be used in conjunction with qmake or similar software? I noticed the .pro file was mentioned earlier.

Thanks again.

If there is no documentation, or the files README, INSTALL, lots of possible ways
to build software. Most common: 1) ./configure && make, 2) cmake ..
( When there is a file.pro : qmake.)

Some more possible commands and scripts to be run to start building Linux software:
'perl Makefile.PL' , 'perl Build.PL' , 'python setup.py build' ,
# 'python setup.py install', 'cmake ..' , 'make' , 'scons', './waf configure', 'jam' ,
'./install', './autogen.sh', autoreconf -f, './configure' (or 'sh configure'),
'libtoolize && aclocal && autoheader && automake --add-missing && autoconf',
.. .. etc.

.

Much appreciated.