As a new comer to linux i have just installed a duel boot onto my system along with windows Xp.

As a new comer i have managed to find my around quite well getting the internet and email to work,

1.but when it came to installing software, i am stuck, i have downloaded a couple of limux programs, namely the java editor eclipse and hugs, i am stuck as to how to install eclipse, i have tried extractign the zip files but am unable to get the program to run.
2. When i tried to install hugs , i clicked on the rpm file and went through the installing procedure, but i dont know how to run the application. When i now click on the rpm file it tell me that the package is installed.

Any help would be great , i have looked on the internet for installation and linux for dummies but no help was found

any help would be most grateful

For the zip file, what is in the directory that you've unzipped? Is it a java app that you can run using java? Or is there something like 'configure' there?

As for the rpm, try the command 'hugs' in a console.

i down loaded the file eclipse-SDK-2.1.2-linux-motif.zip

i then tried to extract the package to the desktop, which produced the directory eclipse

with in that directory the files are:

directory: features
directory plugins
direcotry: readme
cpl-v10.html
eclipse (properties say this is a binary file, no program associated)
icon.xpm
install.ini
libXm.so
libXm.so.2
libXm.so.2.1
notice.html
startup.jar


i tired to install the java J2SE i think i completed the installalation but am unable to run it as i dont know how

thanks a lot

In linux it is usually a program by program basis. If you are running a java app and it's a .jar file type java -jar filename.jar and it should open it(in my experience).

that did not work, maybe becasue the .jar file was also zipped, i have extracted that and found the main clas and a HTMl document telling me i need to invoke the main class, any idea i go about doing that.

thanks