jesthenewbie Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I have been reading some Internet sites about installing programs to Mandriva. I want to instally Thunderbird. I understand that compiling the source code is the best way. What I have not been able to find is how to get the source code for Thunderbird. I think that I need to find and rpm file. Is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Welcome to the board No, you don't need to compile it. The best way is to only compile when you *really* have to. So, the easiest way to install in Mandriva, is simply: urpmi mozilla-thunderbird If you want to install the latest and greatest, go to mozilla's website and download from there. This is already compiled, and you just have to extract it to a directory. Then you can run thunderbird directly from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesthenewbie Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Thanks. Linux is confusing to me, I have been running Windows all of my life. Are you saying that I can download something pre-compiled from the Mozilla site and then I can install and run it just like I do in Windows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Yes, you can. All you do is extract it to a folder, and then you run the "thunderbird" item from within here. However, as you're new to Linux, I suggest you use the rpms available using the command I gave you earlier. Alternatively, once Mandriva is installed, just click System/Configuration/Packaging/Install Software and then search for thunderbird, and install the one marked as mozilla-thunderbird. Then get used to using the command prompt later once you're comfortable with Linux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesthenewbie Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I used RPM Drake like you mentioned. That got it done. What if it had been a program that wasn't in this list like some program that Joe Blow wrote and posted on his personal site? Would I have to compile it then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Possibly. If you visit the easyurpmi link at the top of this page, you can create repositories to access on your machine. Make sure you set up for main, contrib, updates, plf-free and plf-nonfree, then you have access to thousands of packages. I've never really had to compile much, only odd things for additional functionality that isn't there by default in the rpm package. A good thing if it doesn't exist in the repository, is to try and find an alternative that is there. And then use that. Then as a last resort, compile if you have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesthenewbie Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I am trying to get everything (more or less) working in Mandriva that I have in Windows (dual boot). I have downloaded a rpm. file for Limewire. I see that I can just click on it and tell it to install like I do in Windows but then it tells me that some packages cannot be installed. Have you ever seen Limewire working on Linux? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 You will need to install Java from their official site if you want to use limewire. This link should help you: https://mandrivausers.org/index.php?showtop...amp;hl=limewire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I am trying to get everything (more or less) working in Mandriva that I have in Windows (dual boot). I have downloaded a rpm. file for Limewire. I see that I can just click on it and tell it to install like I do in Windows but then it tells me that some packages cannot be installed. Have you ever seen Limewire working on Linux? Jes, In gerneral the way you install programs in linux is different. Its not harder than windows, just different so learning the differences helps with the natural confusion. I think it might be easier to explain in reverse.... In the beginning was the source ........... no really :D because of the way linux works the source code can be compiled onto many different platforms or achitectures so you can have the same source code on a Mac and Intel or even mobile devices...or super computers.. the source is all the same. When you compile the source you make it specific for an architecture ... but you also link it against libraries. Windows does this too but it doesn't share libraries in the same way as linux. For instance of you have a MP3 to audio CD program in linux then basically you are really just writing a front end....that strings together several programs. So you have a program that converts MP3 to CD audio and another that writes this onto CD's... in reality these are actually several smaller programs... and libraries. This means its very easy for someone to write a program in linux because you are putting together other peoples work in a different way whereas in Windows for most things you have to write each and every part. It also means that when one of the "subprogams" gets new functionaility it can be added very easily....however it can also mean the commands passed to that program change so you may need a specific version of that subprogram. This means actually tracking down source can be a lot of work... you don't just need the program but the subprogs and their libraries. Actually compiling is easy... finding the sources of all the different parts is often not. Hence along came red hat and the RPM.... The RPM is basically the compiled program (though they can be uncompiled) and can include some of the libraries. However you can still have to find other parts depending on the actual program and the RPM knows what these are but it doesn't know where to find them. Then with mandriva you have urpmi .... Urpmi uses known repositories so it also knows where the libraries are too... so when you install through urpmi (or its graphical front end) it should find all the libraries and sub progs. Often you will not need many of them because they are already installed for something else or part of the base install but when they change then they can be upddated automatically. This means the RPM's can be very small, just the actual functional part...you are not downloading all the parts you already have like in a windows installer prog. For a noobie the best thing is to follow this list A mandriva RPM in the sources or package lists mentioned above A mandriva specific RPM A non mandriva RPM then source code or binary. Firefox and thunderbird are a slight exception.... the libraries they use have become more or less part of the base install... but I would still say get used to linux/mandriva a bit first.... Limeware is different.... its main deps are java but you can get a functionally similar prog in gtk-gnutella (just of interest gtk is a library of widgits (buttons and icons)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniewicz Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Good explanation Gowator. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Good explanation Gowator. Well done. Thanks, Im a firm believer in teaching a man to fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RikRas Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Gowater, Thanks for taking the time to write that excellent reply. Newbies like me really appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesthenewbie Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Admittedly, I am having trouble just installing the Java that I will need for Limewire. I think that I have downloaded the proper file (java_ee_sdk-5-linux.bin). I have a strong urge to double-click the icon but something tells me that this is the wrong thing to do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Admittedly, I am having trouble just installing the Java that I will need for Limewire. I think that I have downloaded the proper file (java_ee_sdk-5-linux.bin). I have a strong urge to double-click the icon but something tells me that this is the wrong thing to do here. right click it and choose open_with_other and then just type sh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarecrow Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 ...or get it cooked and set up as mandy-specific RPM from MCNL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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