OK, got Suse 9.1 installed and I really want to like it. Never messed w/ Linux before, but I'm good with Winblows. Problem is, I can't get the friggin' permissions thing down to install anything! I download something from the internet and try to install it with a user login, but don't have permission to write to the folders I want to install to ("usr/local/bin" - I'm told), even though I give YaST my root password when it asks. So... I login as root, which takes me directly into YaST. Now I don't know how to get to the software I downloaded! I can't even find a way to get to a "command line" (pardon me if that's the the Linux term) and if I did, I wouldn't know what to do with it. For my user, I checked every box under "Additional Group Membership" and changed "Default group" to "root" trying to give my user permission, but to no avail! Some one please help!

If u have download a software from a login other than root login i guess u might have pasted it in /home/username directory or /home/username/Desktop
You can open that directory using konqueror
in linux u can install anything only if u login as root
Command line which is called terminal or conaole in linux
u can get by preessing F1(main menu)
then move to system then terminal and finally Konsole

welcome to linux!!! ok, to start...the things you downloaded probably downloaded into your home directory....so, logged in as user, open that directory, and you should see them. you're using suse, so i'm assuming you've downloaded the RPM file for whatever it is you wanna install. click on the rpm file, and you should be prompted for the root password..enter that, and then yast will open and install it for you.

the "command line" is anything in a terminal, basically, such as konsole or xterm. it's the little shell looking icon on your task bar if you're using KDE...

i highly recommend you check out:

http://www.icon.co.za/~psheer/book/

it's an online tutorial that is full of useful information for you, and it's pretty easy to follow.

First of all, thank you both for the quick and thurough responses. The Linux community is awesome!
You are correct, I have downloaded the RPM files to my "downloaded files" folder in my home directory (for that user). I click on the RPM file and put in my root password, but when YaST comes up, there's nothing in the box on the left. I can click on accept, but nothing happens... it just closes. This happens with every RPM file.
Thanks for your help,
Billy

Thanks for the response! I got to the Konsole, but I don't know how to use that to install it either. There's gotta be a way to do it through the GUI, right?
Thanks!
Billy

Personally, I've never clicked on an icon to install anything in linux, but I suppose it can be done.

Most of us have been frustrated when we came from wndows to linux. It takes a whole new mind set.

Keep at it. You'll get it.

If you're at a command line and have an .rpm file, as I recall, the command is:

rpm -ivh filename.rpm

The hardest part is being a again after being a "genious" at windows for as long as I can remember

I'll see what I can do with the command line. Thanks man!
Billy

Real quick, what's the command to change directory to "My Downloads"? cd My Downloads doesn't work of course.
Thanks,
Billy

EDIT - got around it, but still curious.

ok, once you drop to a terminal, follow these instructions.

If you are logged in as a normal user...

su - This will switch you to root (you can tell because you will see a # instead of a $ at the end of the prompt!)

Then, if you are not in the right diretory try this...

cd ~user/my\ downloads these will be tricks in linux you want to learn. First off the ~ specified "home" . By typing ~user this will take you to /home/user or whatever the username is

Notice I put a \ after the word my and before downloads. Actually I put the \ before a space. This tells your shell to interprut the next characted literally as a space instead of a special/meta character of sorts. You can also use "" around whatever you type in to escape special character meaning.

Do an ls to make sure the file is there

Then run rpm -ivh softwareprogam.rpm

The i is for install, v is for verbose (tells you what it's doing) and h is to show hash marks (as it progresses) you don't need the v or h, but it let's you know what it is doing instead of just sitting there.

Hope this helps!!! Welcom to the world of the penguin!

You guys friggin' rock! I got like 3 programs installed!
Thanks a million!

now if you really wanna have some fun, start compiling programs from tarballs

then, find a debian based distro and figure out dpkg!

Once again, welcome to the Linux world. If ya need anymore help, just post!

And don't forget to have fun!!!