when i try to compile a software from the source files(tar.gz files)following the steps mentioned here - (
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ograms.-45094/ )....the following error
"*** No targets specified and no makefile found " shows up as i type the command "make".

i have tried many reliable sources and all yield this same error message.
After configuring(with ./configure) the source directory...no makefile is created...instead makefile.in and other folders and files are present in the source folder.
i also have installed the build-essential package in my ubuntu 8.04
but nothing worked the right way...
what should i do now??

If no Makefile is created by the configure script, then the configure script most likely failed.

You don't say what you're trying to install. Did you look at the instructions that came with it? Sometimes, you've got to run a cmake command, or configure something else, in order to get the makefile generated.

Since you don't say what you're trying to install, it's hard to help. A good first step would be for you to read the docs that came with the program, or on their website, and follow the directions.

thanx weibullguy and TB0ne for ur suggestions...
the "./configure" command did not return any errors...
it extracted some files into the source folder such as makefile.in, makefile.am etc.....
but the required makefile was missing

i tried to install codeblocks 8.02 (it is a C compiler for linux)
from the source ... as it was unavailable in ubuntu repositories..
and it had no binary packages(.deb files for debian based OS) available on the net

not only codeblocks...i also failed to install opera by tar.gz files....
at last i had to install the .deb package of opera browser

by chance did you do this common mistake
Example:
you are now in the root home folder and not in the build folder ,to fix this

Makefile.in and Makefile.am are not created by the configure script, they come as part of the tarball. The Makefile.am is used by automake to create Makefile.in. Makefile.in is then used by the configure script to create the Makefile. If the Makefile wasn't created when you executed the configure script, most likely the configure script failed. You should look in config.log for details.

It's possible that you somehow ended up in a different directory after executing the configure script as John VV suggested. However, I don't understand why you would su to execute make.

Anyway, I presume you are trying to install Code::Blocks. If so, then why not use a binary from their website --> http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/binaries?

it is a common mistake to do "make" as root and not just" make install ".
i think he might have been the wrong directory when "configure" was ran .
-----------
ritam_bkp
have a read through this generic manual
http://rute.2038bug.com/rute.html.gz
and for building source
http://rute.2038bug.com/node27.html.gz

CodeBlocks is a c++ IDE built with the wx widget set.

Build instructions are in the file BUILD.

Regards

thanx a lot guys...
i was overlooking a configuration error...
which inhibited the generation of the makefile..

while i typed
pritam@pritam-desktop:~/codeblocks-8.02$./configure

at the last lines these configuration error were returned...

configure: error:
wxWidgets must be installed on your system.

Please check that wx-config is in path, the directory
where wxWidgets libraries are installed (returned by
'wx-config --libs' or 'wx-config --static --libs'command)
is in LD_LIBRARY_PATH or equivalent variable and
wxWindows version is 2.8.0 or above.

now ..
how shall i fix these dependencies??

Told ya the configure script failed.

Install wxWidgets to clear that error. Because wx-config is used during compile time, not runtime, and because you're using a binary distribution, the wx-config file may be in the wxWidget dev package provided by your distribution.

thanx friends...
u all helped me out of this trouble..
i have successfully installed the dependencies..and finally the codeblocks..

but while i try to run it this pops up :

pritam@pritam-desktop:~$ codeblocks
codeblocks: error while loading shared libraries: libcodeblocks.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

..
whats the solution to dis???
did i install codeblocks correctly??

ok..
i have found a solution to this
http://forums.codeblocks.org/index.php?topic=6918.msg52939

god bless u all

hello all
i'm tryimg to install QT on opensuse11.0.
after configure when i do make it is showing x11 libraries not found.
i tried to install the x11 libraries but the libraries are also showing dependendy on some other library.
where can i get a complete package for x11 libraries

see this page...
http://www.x.org/wiki/


X is best provided with ur OS...
i think u have messed up while installing SUSE linux

in the website x.org/wiki the follwing is clearly written -
Getting X

The best place to get X is from your operating system or distribution vendor. X.Org currently provides no binaries.

There are many Mirrors from which you can download source code to the X Window System. If you would like to be a mirror, please send mail to mirror_admin@x.org .

Development snapshots are currently on hiatus; most modules now update slowly enough that frequent snapshots aren't needed.

though u can get the mirrors of its source files...