More KDE problems
While installing KDE 1.9,1 fell at the second hurdle. Being nevv to Linux, I 41 vvas keen to see it maturing into an easier to use desktop OS but, after copying the source fileş as you suggested and restarting the desktop as FVWM1,1 vvent into the xterm environment as root and typed:
tar xvyf Kdelibs-1.90
Guess vvhat? The follovving lines teli a story: tar (child):Cannot open archive Kdelibs-1.90;
No such file or directory tar (child):Error is not recoverable:exiting novv tar:Child returned staus 2 tar:Error exit delayed from previous errors.
Have I missed something? Are vve ali expected to be so proficient in Linux command line language that vve knovv to fiil in something that has not been provided, or am I hoping to get avvay from using MS Windows too much? I hope never to utter the vvords ‘Long live Windows’, and as much as I vvant to get avvay from a system that insists you do everything the Microsoft vvay, my patience is being sorely tried.
Derek Logan, via email
rlj You are missing something. Firstly, Linux
11 is case-sensitive, so the file Kdelibs is not ^ 1 the same as the file kdelibs. Secondly, it seems as though the code supplied is vvrong; it has missed off the file suffixes from the the guide to installing KDE. So, for example, to unpack the kdelibs-1.90.tarbz2 package in the current directory, you vvould enter: tar yxvf kdelibs 1.9Q.tar.bz2
If this returns tar: invalid option — y
then try tarlxvf kdelibs
1.90.tar .bz2
Some versions of tar don’t accept the y svvitch to decompress fileş packed vvith bzip2; use I instead.
İnstalling
Whenever I dovvnload tar fileş and decompress them, and then compile source, I just end up vvith an executable in that directory. Where should it be, and vvhereabouts does Linux expect me to store the source? There seem to be loads of directories called “src”. tlaurice, via email
Laptops
.. I vvant to install Definite Linux 7 on a Dell Laptop, | but I need to knovv if the hardvvare is compatible.
Stephanie, via email
Laptops are alvvays anno/ing vvhen it comes to installing, as a lot of their hardvvare is non-standard. Your first port of cali should be the Unu* Laptop homepage at: (www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop)
İt has links to sites vvith information on hovv to install Linux on a particular model of laptop, including specific configuration options and information on vvhat particular hardvvare features don’t work right
î
W lig There are tvvo general vvays to instal I
IF k ı in Linux-
ImI The first is to use vvhatever package manager is supplied vvith your distribution. This vvill be RPM in the case of Red Hat and its derivatives, dpkg for Debian. This vvill provide you vvith a sophisticated level of management. İt will install ali the fileş belonging to a package in their correct places and it vvill also vvam you if there any other programs that you are required to install first to make it vvork.
The second method is to compile the source code yourself and then install it. This is far more
< omplicated than using a package manager, (»specially if you run into any problems.
Before doing anything else,make sure you thoroughly read any documentation supplied vvith the package. There vvill usually be fileş called README and İNSTALL that vvill give you tips on hovv to compile and install it
The Standard vvay to build a source tree is to run ‘./configure’ from vvithin the top level ‘ lırectory of the source, and then do ‘make’. At this
• iage you’ll end up vvith a tree vvith both the •.ource and binaries, vvhich isn’t actually much use. The final step, unless you want to do a make tost’, is to do ‘make install’, vvhich installs the program, its libraries, headers and general fileş into it’s default place, usually under /usr/local. Since most package managers have their program’s mstall under /usr, if you don’t remove the ı>.)ckage-based version before installing from the
source tree, you’ll run into con^lictS further down the road.
There is no set place to in^11 source code’ although most people tend to ‘n usr,src’
/usr/local/snc, or simply in their
(UJI/IVVUHJIV, VI Jll I İl I U İCli li
it’s not needed to actually run Programs’1 oesn really matter.
The exception to this rule *the ke/nel S0Urce code, vvhich is needed to build a lot ^8ramS Hovvever; as long as you have /^sr^nc*u e ını’*x linked to <prefix>/linux/include/*’nLjX’W erG,* 8 first linux is your main kernel tr^G’ ^°U Won t ^ave any problems.