ok I am fairly new to linux, I am running a Suse distro ver 10.1 and for some reason I cannot install the programs i want unless I use the Yast control center and install packages even then I cannot install bitchx, I have also downloaded many tar files, and am able to upack, move to the correct directory once in the directory i run ./configure or whatever the read me installation says to do. and I get one of two messages depending on the program i am trying to install I either get (no such file or directory) or (checking x...configure error cant find x please check your installation and add the correct paths)
these are the programs i have tried with no luck
flash_player_9_linux
ktorrent-2.1.4
make-3.81
VLC media player
also I cannot veiw any videos on the web, are there drivers that i need and if so how to get and install?
any one able to help

YaST is the preferred method to install software to OpenSUSE. Use it.

http://en.opensuse.org/HOWTOs
http://en.opensuse.org/YaST_Software_Management

flash_player_9_linux
http://en.opensuse.org/Flash_9
... though you can install the plugin via firefox

ktorrent-2.1.4
http://en.opensuse.org/BitTorrent_and_openSUSE

VLC media player
http://en.opensuse.org/Add_Package_Repositories_to_YaST

I cannot view any videos on the web
http://en.opensuse.org/Playing_wmv_in_Firefox_HOWTO

Programming tools are also installed via YaST

Could you be more specific about the yast problem? All of the applications you list should be pretty easy to install from yast, without any dabbling in tar files.

Viewing multimedia does require quite a few downloads: mplayer, mplayerplug-in, win32codecs, xine-libs, ffmpeg, perharps also vlc. It's the mplayerplug-in you're after if you want to view streaming media.

ok since posting I have done some digging and have learned how to add repostirories to yast and have install an alternate package manager. before this post and some research i was unaware of how to fully use Yast. thank u for your help .
all of the programs I had been looking for I have found and installed, except vlc media and bitchx. I tryed installing VLC through Smart package manager and received error failure to install messages and I couldn't even find bitch x
still wondering about the tar files and the error messages though any thoughts?

Flashplayer is closed source so you don't actually build it. You just download and follow the instructions to install (copy the libflashplayer file into your browser's plugins directory). The X messages suggest you don't have the development packages for the X server installed. I've not used SuSE in years, so I;m not sure how they do it, but you'll need to find the X server development packages and install them.

In general, it's best to stick to YaST or installing RPMs "by hand" unless there's really no other way.