Hello, I am obviously new to linux, as I have no idea how to install things....well only certain things I guess. I downloaded http://netdragon.sourceforge.net/ from http://sourceforge.net/project/show...?group_id=21351. I got version .34, which only comes in a .tar.gx. I am assuming that this is a linux version of a zip file. Anyway, I go into the folder, and am clueless on what to do and how to install this. The only things I had ever heard of as far as installations was an .rpm. So anyway, what will I need to do in order to install this? Thank You!

just untar the package , u could use ark or in the konsole type :
cd <the folder that contains the package>
tar -xvzf packagesname

then for installing it type :
./configure
make
su
<your password>
make install

also its better to read the readme file and the install file that comes in the tar file

Though it might be slightly overwhelming due to the number of options, you may want to try ./configure --help | less which will give you a list of possible options that you can append to the ./configure command.

For example ./configure --prefix=/usr will change the default prefix /usr/local to /usr

At some point you will need to use such options in order to make sure that configure can find all the libraries and includes necessary to compile a program.

Later.

I tried using the --help option once and couldn't get out of it (I only know vi and I wasn't in vi!)
Enfer:
I finally untarred something for the first time last night. It was a problem because I found that if I went to vi or anywhere else to read directions then my commands didn't work. Maybe write everything down :)
The thing I got was from sourceforge too and they had a little command in there that after you
$ tar -xzvf packagename
then you type
$ cd packagename/
then there were instructions on the website to type in the name of the installation file like
$ ./install_whatever
and it was installed. So if it's got an installer file in the package you can do that instead of the ./configure command.

gaviidae

Gaviidae,

You enthusiasm is quite nice, but your explanations are a bit vague, I think, for someone who is just starting out.

After untarring a file, make sure to read both the README and the INSTALL files that are in the newly created directory, which should be similar to the tar files name.

More likely than not you then need to use the ./configure command.

Heema wrote it all out quite clearly.

What you mentioned about an installer does bring up an important issue. You may be downloading a compresed binary file. In that case you will install using an installer file. Mozilla comes to mind.

Again, for the most part you will do as Heema wrote.