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Re: [LUG] Migrating to Linux



On Saturday 27 November 2004 16:13, Rob Beard wrote:
I'm still playing around with Mandrake, and so far so good.

One thing I never have understood properly is...

Where am I supposed to put applications?  Windows is easy with it's
'Program Files' folder, but on Linux, I never know where the right place
to put things are?

Getting use to the linux file system can take a little while if you are used 
to the MS way of doing things but its not that bad. As you are using mandrake 
try to get on with rpm and especialy URPMI as soon as possible, urpmi allows 
you to install pre packaged software that is all ready to run on mandrake AND 
grab any other bits that software requires. The advantages you don't need to 
build from source, updates will be easer, and it will  be tailored for a 
mandrake system. If you want to know more about urpmi and setting up the 
sources then just ask, it IS worth it!.

If you want to do things your self then you may whish to do somthing like :-
/usr/src/ -> all source files you build (will build) your self
/usr/bin -> program executables
/usr/sbin/ -> program executables for root to run, sys maintance etc
/usr/lib -> library files (like dlls on windows) 
some times people use /usr/local/bin etc
It also can vary from distro to distro slightly.  

last months LFX has an article on the linux file structure.

You should not need to play directly with these anyway, if you did build a 
program from source, when you run 'make install' the program should place its 
bits in the right places


I've got Mozilla Thunderbird on a Linux Magazine cover CD, its a
slightly older version but it saves me a download for now.  The file is
a tar.gz file, and when I open it I get a folder with a load of files
in, but no obvious installation script.

If i recall with thunderbird that is all the install files so you may wish to 
untar them in a /tmp or /home/you/tmp or what ever. there is an executable in 
there *somewhere* (its the same mess on win32 as well you have to hunt for 
the .exe in a few hundred files). try looking for somthing called setup or 
intall in there.

You would be better how ever using urpmi to install thunderbird, BUT that 
would require broadband or lots of paicence :-) as it would need to download 
a package from the internet. 


Could anyone suggest a good place to copy the files to?

Rob


Anyway, I installed Mandrake 10.1 last night, seems to install okay 
although it was missing Firefox and Thunderbird by the looks of things, 
but I think I have them on DVD somewhere (I knew there was a good reason 
to buy Linux Format for the past 5 months!).

Rob




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