Another stupid-a$$ newbie "how do I install xyz" thread

Sorry guys, but I have looked around and I can't find an explanation of how to install stuff that comes in various flavors of gzips and tarballs.

I know that for Slackware packages we can use pkgtool that came with the installation disk. But what about stuff that people package for generic linux that we want to install on our systems?

How do I control where the stuff gets extracted to? It seems like when these packages are extracted they automatically go into different directories, how do I know they're in the right place?

How do I keep track of where all this stuff goes so I can remove it all cleanly if/when I want to?

How do I know which options to use on the various gzips and tarballs like .tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, tar.bz2, etc. (did I miss any?)

Thanks,
Rand

.tar.gz - tar zxvf (see the manpage for what each letter does, some aren't necessary)
.tar.bz2 - tar xjvf
.tar - tar xvf
.tgz - you can use zxvf, but these are usually packages

Usually it goes as:
./configure (don't forget to read INSTALL, README, and go throught ./configure --help so you can see what changes you can make)
make
make install

make install, puts them where they're supposed to belong usually somewhere inside /usr or /usr/local.

uninstall is done by 'make uninstall'. But you either need to keep the directory where you extracted it AND where you ran ./configure
OR you can just extract it to some directory later and run the configure script again. (Hope you understand the difference,

You need to be root to do 'make install' or 'make uninstall' for most software since it involves either copying or deleting files from system dirs.

I would recommend doing './confgure' and 'make' as normal user tho or you may have permissions problems accessing some files when running software as user

You can also try checkinstall instead of "make install". This is how I install self compiled software. checkinstall automatically creates a Slackware package and installs it. So you can uninstall it with removepkg or pkgtool.

You will find checkinstall in extra/

Originally Posted by pdw_hu .tar.gz - tar zxvf (see the manpage for what each letter does, some aren't necessary) .tar.bz2 - tar xjvf .tar - tar xvf .tgz - you can use zxvf, but these are usually packages Usually it goes as: ./configure (don't forget to read INSTALL, README, and go throught ./configure --help so you can see what changes you can make) make make install make install, puts them where they're supposed to belong usually somewhere inside /usr or /usr/local. uninstall is done by 'make uninstall'. But you either need to keep the directory where you extracted it AND where you ran ./configure OR you can just extract it to some directory later and run the configure script again. (Hope you understand the difference,

Thanks for the options you mentioned. I guess I don't even know what to ask, but I was talking about executables rather than building from source. For example, I tried to install ROX, but it didn't work. I was able to extract it ok (I think) but I didn't get to choose which directories it went into. And then when I wanted to delete it, I had to find all the pieces and delete them all, I didn't know how to execute one command and delete all the modules.

When you say that "make install puts them where they're supposed to be" are you saying that when you install stuff you don't have any choice? The extraction just builds whatever it wants? Or maybe this was during ./configure where you specified which directories it went into???

I didn't understand your last comments about needing to keep the directory when it was extracted.

Thanks,
Rand

Originally Posted by dive You need to be root to do 'make install' or 'make uninstall' for most software since it involves either copying or deleting files from system dirs. I would recommend doing './confgure' and 'make' as normal user tho or you may have permissions problems accessing some files when running software as user

I don't understand the difference between make and make install. Are you talking about doing a compilation as a user and then installing the binaries as root?

Thanks,
Rand

Originally Posted by dom83 You can also try checkinstall instead of "make install". This is how I install self compiled software. checkinstall automatically creates a Slackware package and installs it. So you can uninstall it with removepkg or pkgtool. You will find checkinstall in extra/

This sounds very cool but I don't have an /extra directory, at least not at top level. What is the path to this? And I couldn't find checkinstall with whereis.

I also don't understand what you mean about self compiled software.

Thanks,
Rand

Handy references are http://www.slackersbible.org/book/ package mgt section and similar section in Slackware Linux(Slackware Linux essentials) by Alan Hicks and others available at linuxpackages documents section for an on-line version. Those are good start-off points as well the man refs.above. Happy slacking

I didn't find what I was looking for in those books, but I'll go back and look again. In the meantime I used what I read in this thread and I was able to compile and install something. It will be interesting to see if I can also get rid of it all!

Thanks,
Rand

'make' compiles and 'make install' installs it (basically copies it).

as for installation directories, ./configure --help lists you some command line options (--help is one of them for ex.) which you can override the defaults.

executables can be put whereever you want basically and ran by ./file

as for the uninstall issue:
let's say you extracted something, did ./configure,make and make install. then deleted that directory.
after a while you want to uninstall that program.
you can either search for all the files for that program (but then it's easy to miss something)
or you can just extract the source again, run ./configure then do make uninstall (as root, sorry i didnt mention that before). or you could just backup the first directory, but that takes up lots of place.

Originally Posted by Randux This sounds very cool but I don't have an /extra directory, at least not at top level. What is the path to this? And I couldn't find checkinstall with whereis. I also don't understand what you mean about self compiled software. Thanks, Rand

/Extra is on one of the CDs (sorry I forget which) but you can download it here:
http://slackware.it/en/pb/browse.php...a/checkinstall

Thanks guys, you are great. I can't claim to understand it completely, but after downloading the source for cronky and compiling and installing it, I am further than I was before.

I have all the CDs...so I'll look for it there on the /extra directory.

Rand

Hi all...

I am a Newbie too... this topic was very helpful for me.. now i want to know:

Is there any way or any installation option to add the shortcut of the installed program to Application Menu??

I've installed OPEN OFFICE, but i don't where it is installed!!

I want to install any software and i want the software to be available for ALL Users on my SYSTEM, What i need to do??

Note: I am using Slackware Linux 10.2 with Dropline Gnome 2.12.2

Thank You all

DdOs

Usually executables are put in /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin. If the program is put in /opt then then it's /opt/some/dir/bin (for example: /opt/kde/bin).

If the location is in your PATH (try "echo $PATH"), then you can just type the name of the program. If not, you must give the full path (/opt/kde/bin/kruler, for example). I manually add stuff to the K menu (or in your case it would be the Gnome menu) for programs I want to run (like Neverball).

Originally Posted by DdOs Hi all... I am a Newbie too... this topic was very helpful for me.. now i want to know: Is there any way or any installation option to add the shortcut of the installed program to Application Menu?? I've installed OPEN OFFICE, but i don't where it is installed!! I want to install any software and i want the software to be available for ALL Users on my SYSTEM, What i need to do?? Note: I am using Slackware Linux 10.2 with Dropline Gnome 2.12.2 Thank You all DdOs

http://www.linuxpackages.net/pkg_details.php?id=8819

That is the OpenOffice Gnome-Integration package, it will install the proper menu entries.

You can right click the gnome footprint and choose "Edit Menus" as well.