Im very very new to linux, so im sorry if this is a stupid question but here goes.
I installed Mandrake 10, and I couldnt find gaim, so I downloaded the latest source and compiled it, it gave me the error:
configure: error:
*** GLib 2.0 is required to build Gaim; please make sure you have the GLib
*** development headers installed.


So I went to gtk.org and downloaded the latest source for glib2, and found out it needed pkgconfig, so I went to get the latest pkgconfig, go the latest source, and got a error saying:
configure: error: can not find sources in .
configure: error: ./configure failed for glib-1.2.8

This is a little wierd to me, what I can figure is that I need pkgconfig to install glib and I need glib to isntall pkgconfig.

I must be doing something wrong, so I would greatly appreachate it if a kind linux guru would help me through the hard times of being a linux noob.
Thanks

rpm packets are better than packet not compiled

try with it

I just got the rpm for gaim and it gave me the error:
error: cannot create %sourcedir /usr/src/RPM/SOURCES

You need to install the binary rpm and not the source rpm. For Mandrake, you are better of using it's package manager "urpmi". To find out more information, go to zebulon.org.uk and easyurpmi.

you must be root to install it

This is really sad, I didnt have these problems with fedora core 2. OK Im guessing urpmi is the same as apt for redhat and yum for fedora. so I should be able to run it from the terminal with the command urpmi... right? then how come when I type urpmi all I get is
bash command not found.
Im really new to this so I would love it if you could give me step by step
Thanks

Run it as root, eg to install gaim, you'd do
#urpmi gaim
You can also use rpmdrake which is a gui frontend for urpmi.

YAHOO!
Thanks so much guys, it finally works