How to install a software in Linux.?

Question

I installed Mandrake Linux a few days ago. I wanted to install new softwares so i bought a linux sofware package. every file has an extension (gz or something). I just couldn't install it. help me on it?

Answer 1

Try the following:
Open a Terminal, e.g. KDE Konsole.
Navigate to the folder where you stored the software file. If you don't know how to navigate on the command line, take a look at http://www.linuxcommand.org
The file you have, is the source version of the software, that can be built for every Linux system and ever PC architecture. It is a gzipped (aka compressed) tar archive, hence the extension tar.gz.
You'll first have to unpack it:
gunzip software.tar.gz
followed by
tar -xvf software.tar
Now you have a folder named after the software package. cd to that folder.
If you're lucky, there's a file called configure.
If so, type
./configure
If configure finished without errors, type:
make
when make is through, you have to do
make install
Note that for this last step you have to bee root.
Type su -
followed by your root password.
If you are very lucky, you have all the dependencies (that is, software your program depends on) installed. You'll also need the devel packages of those dependencies. If this is so, the software should compile ok. If not, you'll know after running configure.
In this case, I'd recommend a Linux forum, like http://www.linuxquestions.org
Or try a web search for the missing components.

Answer 2

installing programs in linux is not easy, Mandrake I know nothing about, the easy way to find out is to go to redhat linux web site and join the user group there, the thing about linux users is they will go out of their way to help you out,

do a web search for

mandrake linux tutorials,

If mandrake is anything like Novell suse linux you should get loads of tutorials in pdf format that you can download and print out,

if not then download Novel suse Linux from web site below you can also download the suse live DVD and run linux from the DVD drive without installing it

Answer 3

Introduction
You'll frequently need to install additional software on your Linux server that you didn't think you'd need when you first installed the operating system. This could be because of new business requirements for additional packages or the need to install new administrative tools to make your job easier.

When Linux developers create their software they typically bundle all the executable and data files into a single file that is often called a "package" file. Package files have different formats and contain different control files that determine where the rest of the files should be placed, the permissions they should have and a list of prerequisite packages that are required for the package to function correctly. Some of this information may also be stored in a database on your system by the package management software used to install the software and is used to speed up some of the administrative functions of the package manager.

Redhat, Centos and Fedora Linux software is primarily available in RedHat Package Manager (RPM) files. Regular RPM package files are used for installations in which the kernel, or master program, hasn't been customized in any way. This is the usual scenario for most departmental servers. Source RPMs are used when the kernel has been customized to add or drop support selectively for various devices or features for the sake of performance or functionality. The procedure for installing source RPMs involves recompiling source code to fit the needs of these kernel customizations. This makes life easier for the software developer who wrote the package as he or she now has only to create a single package to support all types of customizations. Both package types use standardized commands for installing the software contained inside making RPMs relatively easy to use.

Debian and Ubuntu versions of Linux use the Debian Package format in which the filenames all end with ".deb". It is for this reason that they are frequently called DEB files.

Software developers who want to use a universally recognizable file format across all flavors of Linux also will make their products available as TAR packages. TAR packages are generally more difficult to work with than RPM packages because the archived files within them may or may not need to be compiled and the commands to install the software may vary from package to package. Instructions are usually contained within a file inside the TAR package to help guide the installation.

The Perl programming language is often used by Linux software developers to create their programs. Perl relies on the presence of certain libraries, or "modules", to work correctly and many Linux distributions install Perl with only the most commonly used ones. There will be times when you will be required to install additional prerequisite Perl modules prior to the installation of your packages. Knowledge of how to install Perl modules is a valuable component of a Linux systems administrators' skill set.

This chapter focuses on the RPM and DEB formats, which are used by a majority of installed distributions. There are smaller sections on TAR packages and Perl modules near the end to cover these less frequently used, but important software installation tools.

Where to Get Commonly Used Packages
There are three commonly used sources for packages; distribution CDs; packages manually downloaded via a browser, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client, or the wget utility; and automated downloads. Each of these methods is introduced here, but is covered in greater detail in sections to follow.

Packages on Your Installation CDs
Installing from your distribution CDs is usually easier than having to download files from a remote Web site, but they are never up to date for very long. We discuss using this method in more detail later.

Manually Downloaded Packages
The two most common ways of getting packages are by manually using FTP or a Web browser. Table 6-1 lists some common download sites that can be used. Remember to match the RPM to the distribution and version of Linux your system is running.

Table 6-1 Popular Package Download Sites
Distribution Location
Redhat http://www.redhat.com/
http://www.rpmfind.net/

Fedora ftp://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/
http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/ http://www.rpmfind.net/

Debian http://packages.debian.org
Ubuntu http://packages.ubuntu.com

Note: With Fedora you can also download packages from the download.fedora.redhat.com site. Start your search in the /pub/fedora/linux/core/ directory and move down the directory tree. If you're new to FTP, don't worry, it's explained later.