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Installing software - I`m new to that


Mandriva-user
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I have a big problem in MANDRIVA 2005 edtion of couse to install software.

Is one of you gentleman please have time to teach me how to install any software

 

Tnx Mandriva-user :wacko:

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Yupp, add software mirrors for your Mandriva version with easyurpmi ( http://www.mandrivausers.org/easyurpmi/index.php ). This is the best solution if you have braodband. If you are on dialup, you might prefer to install the software that comes with your CDs for now and add only security patches and bugfixes from the online mirrors. Any way, click on the MCC (aka: Configure your computer) and go to the software section -> Install software. You can browse through the available packages quiteeasily there. Alternatively, you can use the command line. Open a terminal (the black monitor icon), log in as root (type "su" and enter the password for root afterwards) and type e.g.

urpmi mplayer

for installing mplayer. It is always "urpmi <packagename>". for more options, type

urpmi --help

or

man urpmi (for quitting the manual, press "q").

 

Good luck. :)

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Yes I have broadband conection and I use CDs to install goody stuff,I did already what you saying"Any way, click on the MCC (aka: Configure your computer) and go to the software section -> Install software. You can browse through the available packages quiteeasily there".

Ok but I see a software I like it in http://www.distrowatch.com or other web page I like one software to download where should I direct to and how to install them in what directory.

Ohhh I have lots of DVD or CD from LINUXFORMAT.CO.UK and how can I dowload?

Where should I download?

Do I have to make a new directory to install the software?

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Ok but I see a software I like it in http://www.distrowatch.com or other web page  I like one software to download where should I direct to and how to install them in what directory.
Usually, the software you want to download is already on the mirrors and can be installed with urpmi or the MCC. What you might be interested in is the newest packages of everything, but that can be a bit problematic, as Mandriva is basically bit a source-based distro. You can the applications home-pages with google quite easily. Then you would need to download the source-packages (tar.gz or src.rpm). The source files need to be compiled for your system before they can be installed. For that you need to install certain libraries for e.g. python, qt, gcc or whatever the app asks for. The normal procedure for compiling from source is

./configure

make

and as root:

make install.

Compiling should usually work, unless you need to add special prefixes like e.g.

./configure --prefix /usr/<blablabla>

then it might become even a bit more tricky, but the packages usually have some install readme files that should help you. Another problem might be the compiler versions. It could be that an app is compiled in its new version with a newer compiler than you have on your box, thus you would ned to upgrade the compiler before being able to install the packages. And then, there might be dependencies that are unmet... I hope you see the point that it can be quite problematic compiling the latest and greatest from source.

 

IMHO it is better to stick to what Mandriva has for you (they update their packages, too. E.g. they just added OOo 2.0 for 2006) instead of risking crippling your system. Source based distros are leaner and cleaner distros, but they can also be more tricky (that is why most people claim that e.g. Slackware is for expert Linux users and not for newcomers to linux).

 

Ohhh I have lots of DVD or CD from LINUXFORMAT.CO.UK and how can I dowload?

Where should I download?

The easiest way for downloading is to use wget in a terminal.

 

wget -c http://blablabla

 

The -c option will allow a resumed download, so you could download parts of a package/dvd/cd.iso on day one and continue it the next day. ;)

 

Where to downlaod? Google is your friend. :)

 

Do I have to make a new directory to install the software?

No. Your distro will take care of this.
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Umm... no. When you try to install packages from source, without the necessary libraries for compiling, the system will abort the process and tell you in the terminal which compilers/packages will be necessary for the procedure. So when you try to compile e.g. something for Gnome,the system will ask for some lib-gtk stuff. You can find all those apps listed in the MCC,Software section. So checking the libgtk-devel package should solve that specific problem. If it still refuses to compile, it will tell you where the problem is (perhaps it is another developer-library that you need to install). This is the nice thing about Linux. It tells you, why something doesn't work yet, so you can easily find a way to solve the problem.

 

If you decide to compile things and get stucked, feel free to ask us what the problem might be and how it can be fixed. Also, remember to take a look at some manuals (e.g. man qt) and help files (e.g. configure --help) and the online documentations like www.tldp.org.

 

Good luck :)

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It is easy for you but not for me,I will try :o

 

 

Tnx artic for your help

 

It IS easy, once you leave the "windows-logic" behind.

Linux is just as easy to handle as windows, but it's NOT windows, and if you try resolving your problems using "windows logic" you're almost sure to fail.

Take the time to study the distro's package manager subtleties -in the case of Mandriva: urpmi or Smart Package Manager (the latter if you're using Mandy 2006). It will take some of your time, namely approx. TEN MINUTES.

Then you will be ready to do many things in the proper way, and not shooting blanks in the dark.

Regards.

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A board member has just written an excellent summary of installing packages for exactly people like you.  :D

 

aRtee's write-up

 

I browse for short time it is very good web page,but I will look into shortly.

 

Tnx Mandriva-user

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