how to install a program?

[hictio]

i`m starting to feel the itch for trying some programs on my small linux box. my distribution doesn´t include a c compiler whatsoever, and my question is:
is there a way to install a program without having a c compiler?
do i have to use binaries only?
is that so?
do please excuse me if the question sounds stupid, but i still don`t completely grab the concept behind the process of installing a program in linux.
thanks in advance.

[mikek147]

There are a several ways of installing programs into Linux. Redhat uses rpm to load rpm binaries. Debian uses apt-get and dpkg to install .deb binaries. There are binaries that are tar/gzip'd or tar/bzip'd. Then finally there are source tar/gzip'd files that require that you compile them. Since you're running on a system with limited disk space, you'll have to be real careful on what packages you decide to install. Become real friendly with the command 'df -k'.

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If it ain't broke, fix it till it is.

[hictio]

ok, but in order to run an install, not an rpm one, do i need to have a compiler?
if i get a compressed binarie, once that i decompress it, all i have to do is `conf`,`make`, and `make install`, and, even if i don`t have a compiler the program will install? am i wrong?
sorry if i`m a bit insistent, thanks.

[mikek147]

Again, that depends. If it is a binary that is tar'd and gzip'd, then there wiil be some sort of installation shell script. As an example, it you download the XFree86 4 binary, the installation script is Xinstall.sh. Running this as 'sh Xinstall.sh' will install the the program, similar to rpm.

If it is a source distribution, then you have to follow the course you described, `configure`, `make`, and `make install`, requiring the GNU's C/C++ compiler. Running 'configure' builds the Makefile required for compiling. 'make' compiles the source into executables and libs. 'make install' installs the compiled binary and libs, headers and man pages. -mk

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If it ain't broke, fix it till it is.

[hictio]

thanks a lot, don`t ask me why, i was sure that i needed a compiler to install any program at all...
thanks again, i`ll keep the `df -k` under my pillow... ;->