Unpacking and installation of tar.gz files
 

I cannot unpack tar.gz (or similar) downloaded files and get them installed properly in Mint16 32 bit. When I use "sudo alien -d 'filename'" the GDebi installer seems to run fine using the unpacked .deb file, and Software Manager lists the app as installed. However, the app does not appear anywhere in the app list and there is no apparent way to execute it. This has occurred for at least 5 or 6 apps.

what .tar.gz means is that it is a tar archive (originally Tape Archive ) that is then GZIPped.. (gzip is a good quality compression program).


tar -xvzf blah.tar.gz will extract the files... generally in the current directory.


-x is extract , v is for verbose z is for gzip and f says that the name of the archive follows (as opposed to stdin or a tape drive)

To find out what's in the archive, tar -tvzf blah.tar.gz will show you.


(-t is for Table of contents)

man tar
and
man gzip

for more info

or
if you are not on a headless server but on a desktop install ( mint is a desktop install )

Just double click it JUST LIKE YOU WOULD ON A MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEM !!!!!

or also just like Microsoft and Apple "r-click" it and in that r-click menu select the archive manager
JUST LIKE ON A MICROSOFT OR APPLE OPERATING SYSTEM !!!

Almost all tar.gz, tar.bz2,Tgz, archives are SOURCE CODE !!!
code that is used to make the program you run

and almost always there are two files in the archive
README
INSTALL

well READ THE README file

that is why it is called well " README "



now there are exceptions

like Firefox 26

that tarball is a already pre built stand alone program

So without knowing just what this archive is

there is NO way we can really help


so



1)
What is this archive ?
2)
where did you get it
( the url would help )



also "alien" is for installing REDHAT rpm's on a Debian operating system like Mint
however it might not work
Redhat and Debian are like
the Metric and USA English measuring system

they do NOT mix well

why dont you use the package manager to install software. it is one of the main benefits of using a gnu/linux distro (they usually resolve and automatically download dependencies for you) ?

Yeah. What schneidz said --

More specifically: If you don't know what a tar archive is and what to do with it, then you probably shouldn't be playing with them... You're better off to look for the software manager in the menu, and search for the program you want to install there.

Installing from tar archives is for people who know what they're doing -- or people who've drunk the Microsoft misinformation cool-aid for too long, and believe it's true.