tar.gz instructions do not help much
 

I do not understand the directions to install tar.gz programs, specifically outguess. I am using Suse Linux 9.0 personal with KDE. I am told to have the file in a working directory (are there nonworking directories in linux??), then navigate to that directory. I am then supposed to run tar xvzf outguess-0.2.tar.gz, then ./configur- make- make install. What does that mean??? After being unable to use my shell prompt, my root console, or my “run command” to run tar xvzf outguess-0.2.tar.gz, I finally got Ark to unzip the file for me, now what? I do not undersand what “run ./configure” means. I have a “run command” in KDE, but when I run “configure” I get “could not run the specified command!” When I type “./configure” into my shell or my root console I get “no such file or directory” Where do I type the word “configure”? I have the file unzipped into my documents. Please help. I hate asking newbie questions, but on the web I continue to find the “put file in working directory, navigate to that directory and run tar xvzf <filename> ./configure-make-make install.” Those directions are not enough for me...

Welcome to LQ.

Take a look at jeremy's guide to source programs here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ticle&artid=15

Ok, I'll try and give you better instructions....

Open a shell (konsole will work just fine).
type "su root" and enter your root password at the prompt.
cd to the directory with the tar.gz file in it.
type "tar -xzvf outguess-0.2.tar.gz". cd to the directory created when you issued that last command (should probably be outguest or outguest-0.2).
type "./configure"
when that is done type "make"
when thta is done type "make install"

I recommend that you head over the The Linux Documentation Project and read some how-to's like the bash how-to to try and get a general idea how to operate on a command line.

EDIT: I originally put that link up wrong... it is www.tldp.org, not .com:)

Thank you for your time. I am sure I am doing something terribly silly, but here is what is happening.... I opened the unzipped file and read the readme, and it says that ./configure make make install will do the trick. I don't know what 'cd to the directory' means, so I contiued to get the same errors. After playing around I happened to right click on the unzipped file, and saw “open terminal here” this is what I did

adam@linux:~/Documents/outguess> su root
Password:
linux:/home/adam/Documents/outguess # ./configure
loading cache ./config.cache
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
configure: error: no acceptable cc found in $PATH

right now I am thinking registry hacks are easier than compiling from source.

Nah, you obviously just didn't install any of the development tools when you installed SuSE because that's why it isn't working. Pop the CD in and use Yast to install the development tools and then you'll have a compile and you will be right to go. Now linux looks hard but once you figure it out it'll be so easy and make so much sense that you won't look back :)

Beautiful, wonderful, delightful Linux. I'm giddy with joy. I opened YaST, looked for development tools, installed everything becuase I did not know what was needed, then did ./configure make make install!!!! In the 4 months I have been running a linux box the only programs I have installed are Firefox and Thunderbird (they're available as .rpm's). Thanks to all, the 'su root' tip was very important, and DJ P@CkMaN, thanks for knowing what my errors meant.
I still have a lot to learn, (how does one normally "cd to directory") but I am as happy now as when I opened my box for the first time and upgraded from 32mb RAM to 160mb. Don't know how to use outguess, but YaST says it is installed.... Thanks again!!!!

typing "cd <directory>" changes directory to that directory. cd is a bash command.

When you open up Konsole on the left it'll say some stuff and then have a tilde sign (~), that means you at your home directory. If in /home/adam you have a directory called 'downloads' and in that you have a outguess-0.2.tar.gz, here' is what you could have typed to get you from start to finish :)
Easy :)

just a quick pointers.

the ./ before configure means the current directory
so when you type ./configure in the directory you untared the files to you're calling up the file 'configure' that's in that directory, you'll see this in most installs of apps you do with source code where you have to compile

.. means the directory above the current one... so if you typed cd .. (note the space inbetween cd and ..) it will bring you to the previous directory. furthermore if you type ../<file> into a command line it will executre that file (if executable) that's in the directory above the current one you're in... to check the full path of where you're at in the console, type 'pwd' (no quotes). this will probably save you from some confusion as it was all confusing at first when nobody pointed it out to me.