Installing issue with tar.gz files

[Gene Heskett]

On Saturday 12 February 2005 18:20, Craig White wrote:
>On Sat, 2005-02-12 at 17:38 -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Saturday 12 February 2005 12:54, Kumara wrote:
>> >Hi list
>> >Could someone tell me how to compile/install packages that comes
>> > in tar.gz Ex. I have asterisk tar.gz source file but don't know
>> > how to install it. could someone give me steps to go ahead.
>> >
>> >I'm fairly familiar installations with rpm packages (but not
>> > src.rpm) hope your assistance
>> >Mohan
>>
>> Generally speaking, a tar.gz file is going to be the srcs, not the
>> executables.  To install that will require that you have the
>> 'development' packages installed into your system so that you have
>> the compiler and other tools required to build and install that
>> package on your system
>>
>> Bear in mind that rpm will have no knowledge of anything installed
>> by this method.  That doesn't mean its 1005 bad to do, and ai have
>> quite a bit of stuff so installed on this system.
>>
>> Anyway, if the package has all the tools in it, the installation
>> then is a matter of unpacking the tarball, with a command like
>> 'tar xzf name_of_tarball.tar.gz', then cd'ing to the directory
>> made by the unpack, probably the same as the tarballs name without
>> the tar.gz on the end of it.
>>
>> Once there,  do
>>
>> ./configure(enterkey)
>>
>> it will spit out a whole bunch of stuff while it finds the
>> resources it need on your machine.  When its done, hopefully
>> without reporting a failure, then:
>>
>> make(enterkey)
>>
>> When thats done, also without reporting a failure:
>>
>> make install(enterkey)
>>
>> Will install the program, and generally, all you have to do to run
>> it is name-of-program(enterkey) and it should run.
>>
>> Its not always that easy of course, but the learning experience of
>> figuring out what went toes up, and fixing it, often with the help
>> of a mailing list such as this one, but who's focus is the program
>> under the spotlight, is invaluable, both from the learning
>> standpoint for you, and the level of the help available should you
>> stick up your hand and wave at one of the 'teachers'.
>
>----
>This explanation leaves out the most single important instruction of
>all.
>
>In virtually all cases, a tarball will have a README or an INSTALL
> file and in many cases, both. Reading INSTALL is almost always
> essential. Reading the README file is just generally a smart thing
> to do. Checking them out 'before' you run ./configure, make etc. is
> what smart people do.
>
>Craig

You are of course, correct, and I didn't intentionally leave that out.  
More than likely I was giving the questioner the benefit of having 
enough smarts to read that README and or INSTALL files without really 
saying so.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
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Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.