i am so new to linux, i just started using linux this week.... i downloaded some software for Linux, TK Notepad, and some games.... and i put them on a floppy


now how do i install them in linux? im currently using DSL(Damn Small Linux)......

Need input. I don't know a thing about DSL. What kind of package is it? Does the name end with .tar.gz, .tgz, .rpm, .deb, or some other? Each has it's own installation method.

.....the package is a .tar.gz

You have probably downloaded a source tarball. Hope there is a compiler installed in your system, you'll need it to compile the source. Read this from the tutorial section of linux questions:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ticle&artid=15

i went to tht site "http://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...le&artid=15"... and i did everything it said......everything went well until i got to the:

make
make test (optional)
make install

....commands, when i type "make" in, it says: command not found


what could be wrong?

You don't have make. Propably you do not have any development packages installed. Can you do ./configure again and post us the output?

Last time I used DSL was a while ago, but from what I remember, it doesnt have a gcc compiler. Which might he a problem if you want to install anything from source. I recall there was a way to install stuff on DSL, check out the DSL forums on that. Given that its only 50 MB, dont expect too much from it (its already pretty amazing you get all you do on only 50 MB)

.....when i type in the "./configure" command, this is what comes up:


checking build system type... i586-pc-linux-gnuoldld
checking host system type... i586-pc-linux-gnuoldld
checking target system type... i586-pc-linux-gnuoldld
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
Configure: error: no acceptable C complier found in $PATH
See 'config.log' for more details.



.........

Check out this forum

http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin/fo...ST;f=16;t=4724

Basically there are these DSL extension which gives you options to install stuff (like a compiler)

Well I think it's obvious...no compiler installed. Always check what ./configure outputs. If you get an error here, there is no point to continiue to make. I think that you don't even have the 'make' program (if the output after typing make was command not found and not something like "No targets specified and no makefile found", but even if you had it, if an error occurs in ./configure, the Makefile which ./configure creates and make needs to compile the program, will not be created.
DSL sounds like fun, personally i never tried it, but i wouldn't expect to have a compiler in a Linux that is 50 MB.

.....well i cant get the internet on the comp with Linux, cuz i dont have anymore network cards......so how would i get them from a comp , or where could i download them at on a comp without DSL on it, and then put them on a floppy and install them on the comp with DSL?

well i found and downloaded them, and burned to cdr, but it wont let me copy the files on the hard drive, so im just going to forget about it and use whats already in DSL........

If you are new to linux perhaps you should try out knoppix as a live CD instead of DSL. Although DSL is pretty cool, its more of an exercise in how small a distro could be. Knoppix is 700 MB, but somehow becomes like 2 GB of software. Its more of a full featured live cd and may be a better indicator to you what linux is like.