Originally posted by gsgleason
tar -xvzf gaim-0.10.3.tar.gz
Uncompresses package. Uses tar's internal gunzip ability, another way would be gunzip gaim-0.10.3.tar.gz and then tar xfv gaim-0.10.3.tar. Unix packages are often compressed so that first files are packed together without compression using tar (
tape
archiver), then compressed using gzip or bzip2 (better compression).
Goes to gaim-0.10.3 directory. Hint: If you want to know where you are, set the prompt to show your current directory by setting prompt variable to $PWD like this: export PS1='$PWD>'.
Prepares the source code for compiling. You can check options and other parameters with ./configure --help. The reason for using ./ in the beginning is that Unix doesn't check the current directory for commands by default, only directories defined in $PATH environment variable.
Compiles the package - "makes" the executable out of the source code.
Installs the package, ie. copies necessary files to proper directories, usually under /usr/local.
When you uncompress a tar.gz file, does it matter where you extract the contents? When I did it with MozillaFirebird, and the flash player plugin, it make a new directory in the directory I was in. I was in /root/dls (my downloads directory) and when I ran the tar -xvzf command, it put it in /root/dls/MozillaFirebird. I would imagine I don't want the program files in /root
is there a linux equivalent of a "program files" directory, like in windows? Should I have been in a different working diretory when I uncompressed that tar.gz file?
tar zxfv uncompresses files to the current directory. There's not really an equivalent for Program Files, but I'd say the closest would be /usr. In the end, it's up to you where you stack your files. Just remember if you're root and install apps to /root, then common users can't access them (access is denied to /root).
I have so many questions!! Linux is befuddling to a newb.
That's how it usually is in the beginning