SEO

I'm using RedHat Linux 8.0, KDE 3.0.3-8, and Konqueror 3.0.3-13 on my
laptop now, having abandoned everything Microsoft.

I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little
free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how
to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really
understand how to install an application without a Microsoft-like,
idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my RedHat
Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything in it).

How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an
application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where the
application is, or how to run it?

Kortoom <tomlombardo@comcast.net> wrote:
> I don't understand how to install an application.


There is no general rule.

> I want to get
> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little

Get what they say to get and do what they say to do to it.

> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how
> to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really

Why don't you know how to run files? What's the problem?

> How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an

I don't understand .. the same way as you would run any file. Make sure
it's marked as executable (chmod +x sdm.sh), and call it (/tmp/sdh.sh,
or whatever).

> application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where the
> application is, or how to run it?

Why would you care where the application is? You'd run it by calling
its name, since it will be in your PATH.

Peter

Kortoom wrote:

> I'm using RedHat Linux 8.0, KDE 3.0.3-8, and Konqueror 3.0.3-13
> on my laptop now, having abandoned everything Microsoft.
>
> I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their
> little
> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know
> how to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I
> really understand how to install an application without a
> Microsoft-like,
> idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my
> RedHat Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything
> in it).
>
> How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an
> application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where
> the application is, or how to run it?

Reading your post I think you won't get much help from here since
you seem to lack some fundamental computer skills. I don't mean
that as an insult, it's just hard to communicate all the
necessary background in a news group. Probably you should get
yourself an easy introduction about Linux like 'Linux for
Dummies' (again no offence) and then give it a new try. Probably
you should even consider to stay with MS unless you're willing to
learn a lot of new stuff and you're prepared for a temporary loss
of productivity.

HTH,
Ransom

In article <792b0fd5.0308102219.139add88@posting.google.com >, Kortoom wrote:

> I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little
> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how

Normally you install RPM packages on Red Hat. Some packages are different,
and then you'll just unpack the archive you downloaded and read the
README, hoping it is well written.

You don't need Sun's download manager, just get the package. Getting
StarOffice involves paying Sun, have you done that? If you have, ask help
from their tech support. If not, get OpenOffice.

> to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really
> understand how to install an application without a Microsoft-like,
> idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my RedHat
> Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything in it).

I don't know what the RH Bible is like, but it hardly covers installing
StarOffice, Netscape or Quake3. These commercial packages have their own
help files.

--
Juha Siltala

Kortoom wrote:

> I'm using RedHat Linux 8.0, KDE 3.0.3-8, and Konqueror 3.0.3-13 on my
> laptop now, having abandoned everything Microsoft.
>
> I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little
> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how
> to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really
> understand how to install an application without a Microsoft-like,
> idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my RedHat
> Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything in it).
>
> How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an
> application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where the
> application is, or how to run it?

You're running RedHat 8.0. You should already *have* OpenOffice
installed, or available on your installation media or from your RedHat
8.0 mirror site.

You run a file like "sdm.sh" by typing "/bin/sh dm.sh". Unfortunately,
vendors that provide binary installation packages (such as StarOffice)
tend to have their own little special installation tools. Read the
"README" files with the software and do what *it* says....

"Kortoom" <tomlombardo@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:792b0fd5.0308102219.139add88@posting.google.c om...
> I'm using RedHat Linux 8.0, KDE 3.0.3-8, and Konqueror 3.0.3-13 on my
> laptop now, having abandoned everything Microsoft.
>
> I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little
> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how
> to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really
> understand how to install an application without a Microsoft-like,
> idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my RedHat
> Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything in it).
>
> How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an
> application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where the
> application is, or how to run it?

I figured you might want a non-Jerk comment. If the linux community is ever
going to grow, people need to be nicer to the new guys.

Many times, applications will come with a Readme file that will explain
detailed instructions on how to install it. Read through this file, and
follow all the instructions. Other times, you'll see an install.sh file or
some other script that will install it automatically. To execute this, open
up a terminal, navigate to the directory you have it stored in, and:
$ ./install.sh

Commands in linux work much like DOS/Windows as far as executing. You merely
type the filename in to execute. The only difference here is that you're
telling it to look in the current directory (./) for the file install.sh,
and then execute it. To execute a file in your home directory, it would be
~/ instead of ./ and for a file in the directory below it would be ../

So, this will get you started. You may open up an editor to see what the
install script is doing. Type "pico install.sh", where install.sh is the
correct script. You can see what is actually going on.

As far as where it's stored, it doesn't really matter, so long as you set
your path to there. Common places are /bin/ and /usr/bin/. System-related
files are in /sbin/ and /usr/sbin/. You'll pick up more as time goes on. To
know exactly where the files installed, check out the manual pages ("man
<programname>") and see if it lists it there. If not, then check out the
documentation or readme file, or even the website.

It's actually more intuitive than Windows as you will be able to tell. All
you have to do is execute a script, it does the rest. Eventually, you'll
want to pass options to the install, or edit the script to suit your own
needs. For now, just run it like it is.

Good luck!

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 12:26:17 -0400, David Harris <gte972z@mail.gatech.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
> "Kortoom" <tomlombardo@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:792b0fd5.0308102219.139add88@posting.google.c om...
>> I'm using RedHat Linux 8.0, KDE 3.0.3-8, and Konqueror 3.0.3-13 on my
>> laptop now, having abandoned everything Microsoft.
>>
>> I don't understand how to install an application. I want to get
>> StarOffice from Sun, but I can't even install and run their little
>> free download manager. I can unzip their file, but I don't know how
>> to "run" the file they indicate for installation, nor do I really
>> understand how to install an application without a Microsoft-like,
>> idiot proof wizard. I can't get a straight answer out of my RedHat
>> Linux Bible (which looks like it ought to gave everything in it).
>>
>> How do you "run" a file like "sdm.sh" or "sdm.bat" to install an
>> application? Assuming the install works, how do you know where the
>> application is, or how to run it?
>
> I figured you might want a non-Jerk comment. If the linux community is ever
> going to grow, people need to be nicer to the new guys.
>
> Many times, applications will come with a Readme file that will explain
>

Nice, David. And if you learn to install apps this way, you can delete what-
ever fancy package manager your distro uses and free up tons of space and
system resources...

Alan


--
For Linux/Bash users: Eliminate spam with the Mailbox-Sentry-Program.
See: http://tinyurl.com/inpd for the scripts and docs.

"Alan Connor" <xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx> wrote in message
news:Gv9_a.3317$Nf3.1227@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> Nice, David. And if you learn to install apps this way, you can delete
what-
> ever fancy package manager your distro uses and free up tons of space and
> system resources...

I said to use the Readme file. Most Readme files tend to explain how to do
an RPM install quite clearly.

Though I've always thought package managers were overrated anyway...

In article <bhbdcp$r88$1@news-int.gatech.edu> gte972z@mail.gatech.edu
(David Harris) writes:

>"Alan Connor" <xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx> wrote in message
>news:Gv9_a.3317$Nf3.1227@newsread4.news.pas.earth link.net...
>
>> Nice, David. And if you learn to install apps this way, you can
>> delete whatever fancy package manager your distro uses and free
>> up tons of space and system resources...
>
> I said to use the Readme file. Most Readme files tend to explain
> how to do an RPM install quite clearly.
>
> Though I've always thought package managers were overrated anyway...

Me too. Most of the packages I've downloaded install like this:

1. gzip -d foobar.tar.gz
2. tar -xvf foobar.tar
3. cd foobar
4. ./configure (if that doesn't work, try "make config")
5. make
6. make install (must be run as root)
7. make clean (cleans up work files and frees lots of space)

To uninstall, cd foobar; make uninstall, then do the appropriate rm.

Clean and simple. But then, I'm a Slackware guy, and I must be
choosing the right packages; the readme file usually just describes
the above steps.

--
/~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs)
\ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way.
X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855.
/ \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!

Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> In article <bhbdcp$r88$1@news-int.gatech.edu> gte972z@mail.gatech.edu
> (David Harris) writes:
>
>
>>"Alan Connor" <xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx> wrote in message
>>news:Gv9_a.3317$Nf3.1227@newsread4.news.pas.eart hlink.net...
>>
>>
>>>Nice, David. And if you learn to install apps this way, you can
>>>delete whatever fancy package manager your distro uses and free
>>>up tons of space and system resources...
>>
>>I said to use the Readme file. Most Readme files tend to explain
>>how to do an RPM install quite clearly.
>>
>>Though I've always thought package managers were overrated anyway...
>
>
> Me too. Most of the packages I've downloaded install like this:
>
> 1. gzip -d foobar.tar.gz
> 2. tar -xvf foobar.tar
> 3. cd foobar
> 4. ./configure (if that doesn't work, try "make config")
> 5. make
> 6. make install (must be run as root)
> 7. make clean (cleans up work files and frees lots of space)
>
> To uninstall, cd foobar; make uninstall, then do the appropriate rm.
>
> Clean and simple. But then, I'm a Slackware guy, and I must be
> choosing the right packages; the readme file usually just describes
> the above steps.

Until you need to install init script, specific users, library changes,
and customize other services for different operating systems. OpenSSHp1,
for example, does not automatically create the "sshd" user on your local
operating system for the SystemPrivilegeSeparatiobn trick. Apache does
not set up init scripts for your particular OS, or inform you of the
library dependencies that will be broken when you update your OpenSSL
version for the mod_ssl package, nor does it rip out the *old* config
files and set them aside when you upgrade from version 1.3 to version 2.0.

Such things are what package managers are really, really good for.