Downloading & installing

Alex

unread,

Aug 20, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/20/99

to

--------------BC51E8704B8712FD0D42342F
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

It seems that directories are somehow involved in the whole download
process, from the command line directory to start the download to ending
up with a program that is ready to run, and nothing I've seen so far
clearly addresses the role of directories in each step of the process.

1. When preparing to perform a ftp download, what should directory in
the command line be?

[root@localhost /directory]# ftp
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz.

(I'm not even sure if I have this right ----- ftp ftp://sunsite.....)

2. I know that the next step is to unzip but, again, what should
directory be in the command line?

[root@localhost /directory]# gzip -d
sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar

(does another directory have to be included somewhere in the
command?

3. What should directory be for the tar process?

[root@localhost /directory]# tar....................

is another directory supposed to be included somewhere in
the command?

4. How is the final destination of the download determined.....that is,
where it resides as a ready to run program?

I'd appreciate it if someone could list the ftp, zip, and tar commands
that will actually install the example I used in question
#1.

--------------BC51E8704B8712FD0D42342F
Content-Type: text/html; charset=x-user-defined
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
 
  
  
  
  
It seems that directories are somehow involved in the whole download
process, from the command line directory to start the download to ending
up with a program that is ready to run, and nothing I've seen so far clearly
addresses the role of directories in each step of the process.
1.   When preparing to perform a ftp download, what should 
directory in the command line be?
            [root@localhost
/directory]#  ftp  <A HREF="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz">ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz</A>.
(I'm not even sure if I have this right ----- ftp  <A HREF="ftp://sunsite">ftp://sunsite</A>.....)
  
2.  I know that the next step is to unzip but, again, what should
directory be in the command line?
            [root@localhost
/directory]#  gzip -d   sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar
            (does
another directory have to be included somewhere in the command?
  
3.  What should directory be for the tar process?
            [root@localhost
/directory]#  tar....................
            is
another directory supposed to be included somewhere in the command?
  
4.  How is the final destination of the download determined.....that
is, where it resides as a ready to run program?
  
I'd appreciate it if someone could list the  ftp, zip, and tar
commands that will actually install the example I used in question
 #1.
 </html>

--------------BC51E8704B8712FD0D42342F--

--
PLEASE read the Red Hat FAQ, Tips, Errata and the MAILING LIST ARCHIVES!
http://www.redhat.com http://archive.redhat.com
To unsubscribe: mail redhat-instal...@redhat.com with
"unsubscribe" as the Subject.

eg...@sunlink.net

unread,

Aug 20, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/20/99

to

On Thu, 19 Aug 1999, Alex wrote:
>
> It seems that directories are somehow involved in the whole download
> process, from the command line directory to start the download to ending
> up with a program that is ready to run, and nothing I've seen so far
> clearly addresses the role of directories in each step of the process.
>
> 1. When preparing to perform a ftp download, what should directory in
> the command line be?
>
> [root@localhost /directory]# ftp
> ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz.

The directory you ftp from doesn't really matter. I always ftp
from my home directory, though, just to be consistent, then move/delete
the tarballs after untarring and installing.

> (I'm not even sure if I have this right ----- ftp ftp://sunsite.....)

Nope. It's now metalab.unc.edu .

> 2. I know that the next step is to unzip but, again, what should
> directory be in the command line?
>
> [root@localhost /directory]# gzip -d
> sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar

gzip -d tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz , or whatever the filename is,
from the same directory the file is in.

> 3. What should directory be for the tar process?
>
> [root@localhost /directory]# tar....................

Again, you should be in the same directory as the tarball.
Although, I imagine that if you're in another directory, it would work
fine as long as you specify an absolute or relative pathname to the
tarball.

Actually, you can combine the two previous steps into

tar zxvf tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz , again, run from the same
directory that the tarball is in.

> 4. How is the final destination of the download determined.....that is,
> where it resides as a ready to run program?

Well, after you untar a file, its contents will most likely end up
in a subdirectory of your current directory. Ie.,
/home/alex/tracker-4.3-linux , or whatever your login name happens to be.
It all depends on how the file's author made the tarball. You can (and
should, in fact) check before untarring by running

tar ztvf tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz ,

which will list all of the files in the tarball. Or, use the gzip -d and
tar (without the 'z' option) commads separately if you prefer. After you
make and install from within the subdirectory, well, the actual executable
will go where the makefile tells it to go.

Hope this helps.

Jamie

Egg, eg...@sunlink.net
FMS3amr A- C- H+ M+ P+++ R+ T Z+ Sp#
RL->CT a cu++ e++ f h+ iw+ j p- sm#

Alex

unread,

Aug 21, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/21/99

to

--------------50CB667C092B39C6B2B88D4F

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=x-user-defined
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Thanks, Jamie,

I wasn't sure, at first, what you meant by 'tarball' but it sank in, eventually.
(I just gotta learn Linux speak)

eg...@sunlink.net wrote:

I presume this is after you set the command line directory to that
in the original tarball. Otherwise, you'd use the entire 'tarball'?

>
> > 4. How is the final destination of the download determined.....that is,
> > where it resides as a ready to run program?
>
> Well, after you untar a file, its contents will most likely end up
> in a subdirectory of your current directory. Ie.,
> /home/alex/tracker-4.3-linux , or whatever your login name happens to be.
> It all depends on how the file's author made the tarball. You can (and
> should, in fact) check before untarring by running
>
> tar ztvf tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz ,
>
> which will list all of the files in the tarball. Or, use the gzip -d and
> tar (without the 'z' option) commads separately if you prefer. After you
> make and install from within the subdirectory, well, the actual executable
> will go where the makefile tells it to go.

Ah, this is the key part of my problem.....is there something in the tarball
that tells the executable where to put itself or is it up to you to make that
decision? If you have to make that decision, how do you do it when doing
' makefile ' ?

>
>
>         Hope this helps.
>
> Jamie
>
> Egg, eg...@sunlink.net
> FMS3amr A- C- H+ M+ P+++ R+ T Z+ Sp#
> RL->CT a cu++ e++ f h+ iw+ j p- sm#
>
> --
> PLEASE read the Red Hat FAQ, Tips, Errata and the MAILING LIST ARCHIVES!
>                 http://www.redhat.com http://archive.redhat.com
>          To unsubscribe: mail redhat-instal...@redhat.com with
>                        "unsubscribe" as the Subject.

--------------50CB667C092B39C6B2B88D4F

Content-Type: text/html; charset=x-user-defined
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>

Thanks, Jamie,
I wasn't sure, at first, what you meant by 'tarball' but it sank in,
eventually.
 (I just gotta learn Linux speak)
eg...@sunlink.net wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>On Thu, 19 Aug 1999, Alex wrote:
 >
 > It seems that directories are somehow involved in the whole download
 > process, from the command line directory to start the download to
ending
 > up with a program that is ready to run, and nothing I've seen so
far
 > clearly addresses the role of directories in each step of the process.
 >
 > 1.   When preparing to perform a ftp download, what should 
directory in
 > the command line be?
 >
 >            
[root@localhost /directory]#  ftp
 > <a href="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz">ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz</a>.
        The directory you ftp from
doesn't really matter.  I always ftp
 from my home directory, though, just to be consistent, then move/delete
 the tarballs after untarring and installing.
  
> (I'm not even sure if I have this right ----- ftp  <a href="ftp://sunsite">ftp://sunsite</a>.....)
        Nope. It's now metalab.unc.edu
.
> 2.  I know that the next step is to unzip but, again, what should
 > directory be in the command line?
 >
 >            
[root@localhost /directory]#  gzip -d
 > sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/players/tracker-4.3-linux.tar
        gzip -d tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz

, or whatever the filename is,

from the same directory the file is in.
> 3.  What should directory be for the tar process?
 >
 >            
[root@localhost /directory]#  tar....................
        Again, you should be in the

same directory as the tarball.

Although, I imagine that if you're in another directory, it would work
 fine as long as you specify an absolute or relative pathname to the
 tarball.
        Actually, you can combine

the two previous steps into

tar zxvf tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz

, again, run from the same

directory that the tarball is in.</blockquote>
I presume this is after you set the command line directory to that
 in the original tarball.  Otherwise, you'd use the entire 'tarball'?
<blockquote TYPE=CITE> 
 > 4.  How is the final destination of the download determined.....that
is,
 > where it resides as a ready to run program?
        Well, after you untar a file,

its contents will most likely end up

in a subdirectory of your current directory.  Ie.,
 /home/alex/tracker-4.3-linux , or whatever your login name happens
to be.
 It all depends on how the file's author made the tarball.  You
can (and
 should, in fact) check before untarring by running
        tar ztvf tracker-4.3-linux.tar.gz
,
which will list all of the files in the tarball.  Or, use the gzip
-d and
 tar (without the 'z' option) commads separately if you prefer. 
After you
 make and install from within the subdirectory, well, the actual executable
 will go where the makefile tells it to go.</blockquote>
Ah, this is the key part of my problem.....is there something in the
tarball
 that tells the executable where to put itself or is it up to you
to make that
 decision?  If you have to make that decision, how do you do
it when doing
 ' makefile ' ?
  
<blockquote TYPE=CITE> 
        Hope this helps.
Jamie
Egg, eg...@sunlink.net
 FMS3amr A- C- H+ M+ P+++ R+ T Z+ Sp#
 RL->CT a cu++ e++ f h+ iw+ j p- sm#
--
   PLEASE read the Red Hat FAQ, Tips, Errata and the MAILING LIST
ARCHIVES!
                
<a href="http://www.redhat.com">http://www.redhat.com</a> <a href="http://archive.redhat.com">http://archive.redhat.com</a>
          To unsubscribe: mail
redhat-instal...@redhat.com with
                       
"unsubscribe" as the Subject.</blockquote>
</html>

--------------50CB667C092B39C6B2B88D4F--

Kevin Colby

unread,

Aug 22, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/22/99

to

I just thought I'd try and clear a few things up.

A "tarball" is simply a file archive created with the program "tar".
Think of a tarred and gzipped file as the *nix version of a ZIP file.

Just like a zip, a tarball will have a notion of a directory
structure it needs to create and put itself in. I always
recommend doing a "tar tvf tarballname" first, to see what the
tar is going to do when you extract it ("tar xvf tarballname").

If the tar is source, you will probably want to put it in
/usr/local/src. A good tar will create a main directory for
itself under there (if you are _in_ /usr/local/src when you
untar it).

Once you have source, you'll want to follow the package's
developer's directions--probably in a README file.
The usual procedure is something like:

./configure
make
make install

The make install (if there is one) will put all the executables,
config files, etc. in the right places, and is the only step
that you need to do as root (and the only step you _should_).
It is important to check the makefile before doing your make
to see what the directories are that will be used for the final
destination. I mean, you may disagree. This may be covered
by the configure, but you may need to edit the Makefile by hand.
It's not that bad, just don't mess with stuff you don't
understand. ;^)

RPMs are a whole different matter. They eliminate most of
this stuff and take care of themselves. If you have a choice,
take the RPM.

- Kevin Colby
kev...@grainsystems.com