Stupid newbie - How do I install Thunderbird using YaST on suse 10??
 

I've been using Linux for about 2 hours so very very new to it all - apologies if this is very obvious, but I have looked and can't seem to find an answer that makes sense to me!

Thunderbird doesn't come up in the YaST Software Manager search as it's obviously not pre-installed, is there a way to set YaST to include online searches? I tried downloading it from the site but couldn't find any way to install. It's driving me crazy and I don't want to give up and go back to XP already!

Edit: i do not have a 'software repositories' option under the software tab...

Hi Superfran,

If you are using openSUSE 10.2 or later, you can get Thunderbird via 1-Click Install.

Go to http://software.opensuse.org/search and type Thunderbird in the search window.

Select your OS version and press Search

Once the list comes up look for MozillaThunderbird. It will have a list of .rpms, but it's easier if you press the 1-Click Install button. A window will pop up asking if you wish to save the file or open it with install software. Select the open with install software option.

Follow the instructions and supply your root password when it asks for it. It will let you know when it's finished installing then you should be good to go.

Richard

This doesn't seem to have worked... Maybe i'm not using Suse 10.2 or perhaps I'm using the wrong program? I was told linux wasn't as user-unfriendly as it used to be but I can't find any online step by step guides - can anyone on here recommend any?!

Did you get some kind of error...

Nothing at all happened, it didn't prompt me for a password or anything. I have tried it a few times and it just puts .ymp files n my desktop that i can't open using any of the installers.
I think I'm going back to windows... I can't take any more of this!!

1.be root
2.type "sw_single yast2" in command prompt
3.search for "thunderbird" and install

3 simple easy steps

ooops
u said it doesnt come in repository??
i am also using suse.
let me check first

Since the 1-click install doesn't seem to be working for you, try downloading the correct thunderbird .rpm for your cpu architecture. It will give you the same options of either saving the file or opening with the install software.

Make sure YaST is not running when you try this. Also make sure the online update is not currently searching for updates as it interferes with software intallation. It is usually a small flashing chameleon icon in the system tray.

Let me know if that doesn't work for you, and we'll try another solution.

Richard

try SUSE 11
 

They have a newer version of SUSE that has improvements to the installation features. It is version OpenSUSE 11.0, freely available. Thunderbird is no problem to install with it. You would start Yast2 either from the command line or from the Menu, and go to the Software section and select Software Management. From their, you would add the software after searching for Thunderbird. SUSE will resolve the dependencies, if any are needed. There may be some configuration issues at the onset, because you need to specify what installation sources to use, such as internet archive sites for SUSE repositories or your installation DVD, for instance.

To start Yast2 at command line, as root: #yast2
To get root prompt, at terminal: $su then enter root password.

If you insist on using the older version of SUSE, then you should still be able to use yast2. You can also try to use "rpm", but you will need to find the SUSE repository for your installation. Post a question with specifics if you get stuck. RPM is a bit more complicated than using yast2, but rather simple once you get the hang of it.

a) How do upgrade to opensuse 11.0, would i need to create a bootdisk?

b) My shutdown isn't working. When it booted, it asked me to login and i had to use the startx command. Any ideas?? I haven't touched a thing!

You can create a fresh install, by downloading the OpenSUSE iso image and burning it to DVD. It is a bootable DVD that will install OpenSUSE 11 on your system. You can first back up your local files and user files to DVD or a backup drive, and then do the fresh install. The online update might allow you to upgrade to version 11. Check the SUSE help pages on upgrading by installation media. There might be an option in the installation media to upgrade an existing SUSE installation of OpenSUSE. In that case, you would boot using the installation DVD and follow the prompts.

I don't have an optical drive available atm, so not going to go playing with it right now.

ATM am more worried that I can't shut the damn thing down and rather than opening it's asking for logins on the boot screen...

Can you take a screen capture of the boot screen that is asking for a login? Can you explain what you did and what you saw to get to that screen so that someone can better help you? It is not quite clear...

Don't have a DVD writer? What about a CD writer? I have heard of people putting the image to a Flash Drive if you have one that is large enough in storage space to hold it...and booting from the Flash drive to install a distribution. You can try that.

Explain?

I don't have an optical drive but I'm thinking of investing in a USB one as they're so cheap, a flash drive is a good idea, I have some relatively large ones and i must admit, I didn't know it was possible. Thank you!

Sorry for not being clear. I will explain as best I can and the next time I attempt shutdown (!) I will re-start and try the screen cap thing.

Rather than just the Suse Enterprise blue startup screen which Ihad the first time I started up, now it does that for a while and then I have the black boot screen which gives me a command line and I have to type in my username, password and the start x command. I will come back with the goods shortly, I hope.

Thank you for being helpful, I really want to learn how to make this work but it seems all sorts of obstacles are being thrown at me - every step by step guide i read makes it sound really easy until i open the folder and the option it tells me to take isn't there!!!

Update to the above:

Logging in as root doesn't seem to work, leaves me hanging on a grey start up screen. Using the su root command and then shutting down from there freezes everything but doesn't shut it down.

Any help would be greatfully appreciated!!