opening downloaded programs

[repainter]

:(
i am using mandrake 9 and a zero novice
could someone please explain in 2nd grade english how :

a} when i download a program i get a list of files.
how do i manipulate these files so as to have the program operable, and

2} how can i then put an icon on my desktop so as to open this program when desired

please send replies to mattborg2000@yahoo.com

appreciate all help

[DJBanaan]

This all depends on what type of files you downloaded. .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .rpm, just to name a few.

[irlandes]

Originally posted by repainter
:(


please send replies to mattborg2000@yahoo.com

appreciate all help

Generally, requests for personal e-mail responses from a forum result in your posting being ignored by those most able to respond. Also, unless you deselected it, any answer to your posting will result in a link for the posting being sent to your e-mail system, eliminating need for a personal response.

Also, we would need more info on what you are doing.Tell us the file, and as the other poster has said the full name including type. There are so many options it is a waste of time typing guesses.

[repainter]

thanks for your note

two programs are in my home personel file and they are

1=*tar.gz
2=*1.2.tgz

hope you can help

[ph34r]

Both of those are normal "tarballs".

mkdir tmp
cd tmp
tar xzf ../foo.tgz (or)
tar xzf ../foo.tar.gz

If you have a tar.bz2 file, it is

tar xjf <tar.bz2 file>

[repainter]

ph34r
thanks for your reply, and i request your patience in my following response.

a-what is a tarball
2-what you wrote as an explanation was like a foreign language,

in other words

from your information how do i physically grab via the computer, your lines of code and then manipulate this info into the opening of the program, and then placing an icon on the desktop.

i am afraid i have a windows mentality
so linux is like drowning in a sea of unfamilarity.
thanks for your further assistance

[MxCl]

Hi,

A tarball is like a .zip file in windows, you should be able to extract it using the file manager for your setup. So browse to your home directory and click on them!

What have you downloaded? If it's source you will need to compile the application, if it's a binary it's more straight forward.

Also what ph34r wrote would do what I described above using the file manager but you type it into a command prompt/terminal window. It should be fairly clear how to open a terminal window, look in the "start" menu.

[Parcival]

If you are using KDE 3.1 as your desktop things are even easier than in Windows:

1) Open Konqueror (the KDE filemanager)

2) Browse to a directory where you want the new app to sit.

3) Do a right-click in the directory and choose "Create New -- Directory" (just like in Windows Explorer)

4) Browse to the folder where your zipped file sits and right-click on it again. From the long list of options you can select "Extract to".

5) When you made the selection a dialog box opens where you can indicate the folder your app should be extracted to. Brwose to the folder you just created and hit the "Extract" button.

Et voilà. :)