What is a file with the extension .run and how do I install it?
 

I was looking for the driver for my GeForce4 graphics card and downloaded "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run" from NVIDIA's website. What kind of a file is this and how do I install it? I am new to Linux and am trying to keep to rpm files until I become moire familiar with the OS.

On the command Line:

if you want to install the Nvidia drivers you have to install first the kernelsource.rpm or something like that (from your distros cd/dvd), shuttdown the x server and log on as root than go to the directory where your .run file is than tipe: ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run and in a couple of minutes it´s installed and if you did everything ok on the next time when you start x you should see the Nvidia logo before your GUI starts...
Good luck it worked for me..:)

What is the Xserver?

Think of the X server as the program that renders all the graphical windows for you and cooperates with the window manager (Gnome, KDE), which is responsible for the menu, opening/closing windows, etc.

Mostly, either xfree86 or xorg are used as X servers.
For instance, look at /usr/X11R6/bin/X.

One way to shut down your X server is to:
You'll then have to log in again, but this time there won't be any GUI

Have a look here (not so easy but once you got it, you'll understand a lot)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System


To determine the type of a file, type
They are wrong to call it .run , they should call it .sh as its a shscript-to-source.