Installing tar.gz file with gui?

peter7089 · 04-14-2017, 07:44 AM

Is it possible to install tar.gz file with gui? Something like installing .deb file with gui package installer.

Turbocapitalist · 04-14-2017, 07:48 AM

The short answer is no.

Which package are you trying to install and on which distro? Please include version numbers for both.

Tar balls can contain anything. It's not a package format, it's a file archive.

You'll save a lot of time and effort by staying within the package manager system, but there are usually ways to do that and still get unusual packages or newer versions.

pan64 · 04-14-2017, 07:49 AM

yes, it is possible theoretically, you need to associate the extension to the installer. But actually there is no such installer (you need to write/implement it) and that will/may cause also you will not be able to open that archive, just install.
and last but no least there is no global "tar.gz" format, so you cannot write a general installer but this installer would need to recognize what is inside, installable at all and how (probably need to be built first).

peter7089 · 04-14-2017, 09:40 AM

I think i found a work around using checkinstall and converting the tarball source code to .deb package and then installing the .deb file with package installer with gui.
I am currently trying to compile the source for this software: https://launchpad.net/awn/, but when i run ./configure i get:

Code:

configure: error: 
  Could not link test program to Python. Maybe the main Python library has been
  installed in some non-standard library path. If so, pass it to configure,
  via the LDFLAGS environment variable.
  Example: ./configure LDFLAGS="-L/usr/non-standard-path/python/lib"
  ============================================================================
   ERROR!
   You probably have to install the development version of the Python package
   for your distribution.  The exact name of this package varies among them.
  ============================================================================

Any idea how to fix this? I am using Xubuntu 16.04.

Turbocapitalist · 04-14-2017, 09:43 AM

There are some packages there on the Launchpad link for building with older versions of Debian and Ubuntu. I'd grab one of those, modify it for (X)Ubuntu 16.04, insert the latest source, and then build the package.

peter7089 · 04-14-2017, 10:00 AM

What other packages do mean? I think the latest version of the package is already old version. It's released on 2013-11-27.

Turbocapitalist · 04-14-2017, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter7089

What other packages do mean? I think the latest version of the package is already old version. It's released on 2013-11-27.

Yep. And it looks like the latest APT package is for Ubuntu 12.04: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/precise...ndow-navigator

However, you can use the dsc file with a little modification and add in the 2013-11-27 source.
http://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/pac...-software.html

peter7089 · 04-14-2017, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbocapitalist

However, you can use the dsc file with a little modification and add in the 2013-11-27 source.
http://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/pac...-software.html

That looks a little too complicated for me. I am trying to compile from source for a second or maybe third time.

Does that mean that the python error i am getting is because this package is created for older version of Ubuntu and might not work on newer Ubuntu versions?

snowday · 04-14-2017, 12:25 PM

Avant Window Manager was abandoned years ago by its developers. Trying to install AWN on a modern operating system is probably not a beginner task. May I ask, why do you need/want AWN?

That said, I found these instructions (untested by me, cannot vouch for them) for installing AWN in Ubuntu 16.04 (the current Long Term Support release):

http://www.webupd8.org/2016/09/how-t...navigator.html

peter7089 · 04-14-2017, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowpine

That said, I found these instructions (untested by me, cannot vouch for them) for installing AWN in Ubuntu 16.04 (the current Long Term Support release):

http://www.webupd8.org/2016/09/how-t...navigator.html

I followed the guide but when i try to install it i get 'E: Package 'avant-window-navigator' has no installation candidate'.
Also, i downloaded the .deb package of AWN from here but when i try to install it i get error about missing dependencies and if i try installing the dependencies i get error about other missing dependencies. I think i just wasting my time trying to install this package.

pan64 · 04-15-2017, 02:50 AM

it only depends on you (if you really need that or not). We can help you probably to go further but only if you give us usable information. "I get error" is nothing, please post exactly what did you try and what's happened...