Ok, I'm sort of a noob, and I had someone else help me install Slackware as well as most of the programs. Can someone give step-by-step instructions on how to
1- Install something if it's a file made for Slackware, such as Firefox or VLC
2- Compile or whatever the term is to install something if you have the source, Cinelerra, to be specific. Thanks.

1) This is easy....as root run installpkg packagename.tgz

2) This isn't much harder.

tar zxvf (for a .tar.gz)
tar xjvf (for a .tar.bz2)
drop into the directory
./configure
make
su to root
make install

Now one thing you REALLY want to do is find a Slackware mirror and install the checkinstall pacage (it is on CD4 in the extras directory. For compiling from source that allows you to create a Slackware package so you can managae it with the normal package tools. So for checkinstall, the process is:

./configure
make
su to root
checkinstall

If you've used the checkinstall provided with Slackware, installpkg is run for you.

Wellcome to LQ!

'installpkg mypackage.tgz'

Look for an include README file. These will also sometimes be called BUILD or INSTALL. The directions will be included in one of those files. Just follow the commands and post back if you have any questions.

When your done reading the build directions, read this to learn how to turn that source into your own slackware package.

just ask if you need any additional help.

regards,
...drkstr

**edit**
I guess Hangdog42 can type faster then me

PURELY out of curiosity (since I use the checkinstall that comes with slack), the regular checkinstall doesn't run installpkg? I figured that since the regular checkinstall program asks if it's a Debian, Slackware, or one other type of package, that it would do that anyway?

Regardless, I use the aforementioned checkinstall program when compiling from source. I like to compile from source, but I also like having the package present in case I would like to uninstall or upgradepkg. It seems a bit more hastle-free to compile source this way, but then again I'm very comfortable doing it this way. It's up to you.

I don't mean to discourage you, but I'm not sure that I'd pick cinelerra as my very first program to compile. If it helps any, I found a Slackware package for cinelerra at www.slacky.it. The site is in Italian, but it's easy enough to find your way around.

I don't even use checkinstall. It's to unreliable for me. I just like building my source into a temporary build directory and turn it into a package with 'makepkg'. It's simple and it works, two big pluses in my book.

regards,
...drkstr

A while back I was using a self-compiled version of checkinstall and it didn't run installpkg. I'm guessing that there are some compile options you can set to get it to run installpkg, but since I switched back to the Slackware version, I've never really investigated.

I've read that it has problems... honestly I'm newer to slackware and I kinda defaulted to checkinstall. I've been looking at the makepkg approach lately... like this past week. What problems do you have with checkinstall? I don't notice anything but I might not be looking hard enough yet.