Hello all, I am using Redhat 9 'Shrike' and i'm extremely frustrated trying to install programs. I downloaded many RPM's & source code form software. With almost every RPM: a window flashes for too brief a time to even read, that's it. Nothing is installed, no error message, no nothing. What the ????

Source code: I've yet to sucessfuly install a single program by trying to build from source! I've read 3 books on redhat linux regarding installing programs and have followed the directions carefully.Here is what happens every single time:

I run './configure', I get an error message saying I need so-and-so to build this. OK, i go and download so-and-so and try to build that. I get an error message saying it requires such-and-such to build this one. OK, I go and download that. I first
read the README, which is about 12 pages of incomprehensable instructions, i continue on and on. After i'm about 6 levels deep in dependency apon dependency and the instructions becoming so convoluted i give up....

Does this scenario happen to anyone else? Am i missing something about linux?

The easiest way to install software in RedHat is to use apt-get. Download the two binary packages, open up a terminal, and as root do:

# rpm -ivh apt*

then sync up apt:

# apt-get update

install synaptic:

# apt-get install synaptic

Now synaptic is a nice little gui for apt-get. Fire it up:

# synaptic

and you can browse the packages you want to install. If you want to install rpm's manually just do:

# rpm -ivh <package>

I suspect you were double clicking on the rpm packages in some sort of file browswer.

P.S. Its probably a good idea to update all your packages as well:

# apt-get upgrade

Thank you! I followed those directions, and have now been able to actually install software on RH9! I wish i knew about
apt-get before...

I know RH9 is outdated but i don't want Fedora 1,2,3 - one reason is because of the bootloader bug that kills your Windows partition in FC2 - I went through that grief already once. Also it's so buggy in general, because they rush out new distros so often and after all those people lost their ability to boot windows in FC2 - they didn't even fix the problem in FC3! unbelievable... besides, how much better than Window$ is an O/S that has to be upgraded every 6 months because of dependancy problems? That wouldn't be much of an alternative to Micro$oft.