Hey all. I am totally new to linux and i have no clue on how to install anything. I have been only using it for 2 days and am still figuring out the basics. Now i want to beable to use msn messenger. I found a program called "amsn" and downloaded it. I cant post a link to the site, but search amsn on google, then click the top search result. Then on the right side at the top, look in teh list for the Ubuntu install. Then after you click that, you should be in a directory. The file i have is the amsn_0.94-1.diff.gz


It has the intall instructions, but i have no clue what it means because i am really stupid with linux. Can someone please give specific intructions to intall amsn for a beginner? Thanks so much. Do you install every program the same way?

Shaun.

the easiest way is to download amsn-0_94.tar.gz (it's listed as amsn-0_94 tarball) from here and save it in your home directory. once there, open a terminal, such as xterm, and type 'ls' without the quotes to make sure the file is there....if it's there type:

tar -xzvf amsn-0_94.tar.gz

and it will untar and create a new directory in your home directory called amsn-0_94. open that and there is a shell script called amsn that will start it for you.

then, if you want, you can make a link to it by opening up the terminal again, su to root, and type:

ln -s ~/amsn-0_94/amsn /usr/bin/amsn

and you'll be able to start it from a run command by just typing amsn in the run command.

I strongly recommend installing things through APT/dpkg.
I am not exactly sure if it is present in Ubuntu, but aMSN is present in Debian (on which Ubuntu is based upon)


Try this: If that aMSN programme is not up to your liking, I suggest you try gaim. It has MSN support amongst many other IM protocols.
To install gaim:

In really easy terms, Just download the tar.gz installer, open it with fileroller (It should be the default archive application, i'm not sure, i use mandrake), Then at the top look for extra, and extract all into a directory then go to the directory where it got extracted look for aMSN the file, Right click on it and go to open with, at the top type in $cd,
NOTE: Don't choose run it terminal or it will open it with terminal so when you close terminal aMSN will go with it, So just do it the way i've stated.

Hope it works, DesyphER

u need to check out :

http://www.ubuntuguide.org/

as the easiest way for installing software in ubuntu is to install it from synaptic

NOTE : Synaptic is a gui for apt which is a package manager that connect to alot of repositories (ftp,http sites) that contains thousands of software , it then download and install the software for u

You have gaim already, try that. But for amsn, its just
sudo apt-get install amsn
Also, if you are using gaim, try out jabber, its awesomerific

Wow. THanks guys. Why do they have to make it so confusing?? Im going to try your methods and ill get back to you. THanks alot.

Cool. I tryed your way, but it didn't work, because it could get ot the open with even if i went to the properties, but i clicked on another file and it opened the application... ? wIERD? Well Thanks alot for your help. I'll use it as reference next time.

1) open synaptic

2) choose settings -> repositories

3) then select all of them

4) then click OK then Reload

you will now have loads of software

Open with $cd, dont choose any other options. Thatś how i use it and it runs perfectly