What to do after extracting .tar.bz2 files

[Oakems]

Hi all, I'm trying to find some understanding on installing and compiling programs. I know this is a fairly frequently asked question so I do apologize, but I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.

I recently downloaded some software 'gvocab-0.2' but am at a loss of what needs to be done next. I've extracted the files to a new folder and read the install file but all it says is 'make help, make install and make uninstall'. I've typed these at a terminal after changing to the right directory but it comes up with *** No rule to make target 'install'. stop.

Can anybody help me? Most of the information I've found elsewhere is program specific and usually has no explanation as to why it works or what it is that you are doing. I was kind of hoping to be cheeky and to ask for some description of what I'm doing and not just the code that will get it to work. Thank you.

I'm running Fedora 9 64-bit, not sure what other information you'd need so if I've left anything out please let me know so I can let you know, what it is that you need to know.
Thank you
Kind regards
Oakems

[glennzo]

You usually start with the command ./configure, assuming that there is a configure file present. Once configure is done you type make and then make install. Then you should be able to run the program. That's how it should work in theory but there are often missing libraries that cause compile errors.

[Oakems]

Hi glennzo, thanks for the help. I typed ./configure as root in the directory where the files are and it came up with '-bash: ./configure: No such file or directory'

There are 6 files in the folder named as follows: ChangeLog, gvocab, INSTALL, Makefile, sat-words.xml and ui.glade.

As you can probably tell I'm knew to Linux so I'm not too sure what I'm doing, so any explanation would be great to give me a better understanding so that I can progress from being a know nothing newbie.
Thank you

[Jake]

Open install (in a text editor). it may tell you how to install.

or use cd to go to the directory in terminal, and try running Make.

[Oakems]

Hi Jake S, thanks for the info. I've tried going to the right directory and typing 'Make' and I get '-bash: Make: command not found'
and inside the INSTALL file it says: make help, make install and make uninstall but none of these help when typed as a command, I get the same error message.

[Jake]

Do you have gcc installed? and other verious things for compiling? if not. then there is your problem.

try these first:

$ su
password: ...
$ yum install gcc gcc-c++
...
Are you sure (Y/n)? y
...
$ cd /path/to/directory
$ Make

[Oakems]

Tried that and apparently I have them already installed and the latest version.

Inside the Makefile there's is a lot of code but nothing telling me what to do, and nothing of any help inside the install file except the instructions make install which doesn't work.

[Jake]

does typing /sbin/make work?

The make file is, supposed to be code, it is a file which is used to find the files to compile, which it then executes the make process.

[PabloTwo]

gvocab-0.2/> cat INSTALL
Actions:
        make help
        make install
        make uninstall
Options:
        DESTDIR - destition directory.

I don't see how the INSTALL instructions could be any clearer, exept to tell you that you will need root privilege to run the "make install" command. The "make help" command just prints the contents of the INSTALL file, as above.

There is no file, or command, called "Make". There is a file called "Makefile". You don't run "Makefile" directly, it is just a text file, not an executable. Do just what the INSTALL instructions is telling you to do. Become root using "su", then type "make install" (without the quotes) while in the gvocab-0.2 directory . Notice that is "make", not "Make", lower case "m". Yes, you will need gcc (the C compiler) and perhaps a few other support libraries.

[Oakems]

Okay, well I think I've managed to install it I was inputting 'Make' instead of 'make' but now that I have installed it, it still won't work.

Is it all right if I post the outcome of what the terminal is telling me? And how can I do this for you.
Many thanks

[Jake]

If it failed, can you post the last few lines, just the errors? thanks

[Oakems]

[root@localhost gvocab-0.2]# make
# Actions:
# make help
# make install
# make uninstall
# Options:
# DESTDIR - destition directory. [/root]
[root@localhost gvocab-0.2]# make install
cp -f gvocab gvocab.sed
sed -i "s!ui.glade!/root/share/gvocab/ui.glade!" gvocab.sed
sed -i "s!sat-words.xml!/root/share/gvocab/sat-words.xml!" gvocab.sed
mkdir -p /root/bin
cp -f gvocab.sed /root/bin/gvocab
mkdir -p /root/share/gvocab
cp -f ui.glade /root/share/gvocab/ui.glade
cp -f sat-words.xml /root/share/gvocab/sat-words.xml

This is what it came up with, and it created another file named gvocab.sed which does nothing when i click on it.

I really appreciate the help guys. Thank you

[PabloTwo]

I just installed this program to check it out.

There were no "errors" with your install.
Because the default install location is within the home directory of user issuing the "make install" command, unless you use the DESTDIR option to put it outside of your home directory, there is no need to be root.
It creates, or uses, a directory /home/user/bin and creates a directory /home/user/share for its files.
The executable is /home/user/bin/gvocab.
To run it, you just type gvocab. If /home/user/bin is not in your $PATH environment variable, nothing happens except bash will tell you gvocab: command not found.
Type "~/bin/gvocab" to run it.

Okems, you should extract the downloaded gvocab-0.2.tar.bz2 file in your regular user home folder and run the "make install" command in the gvcab-0.2 folder as your regular user, not root, in this case.

[Oakems]

Originally Posted by PabloTwo

gvocab-0.2/> cat INSTALL
Actions:
        make help
        make install
        make uninstall
Options:
        DESTDIR - destition directory.

I don't see how the INSTALL instructions could be any clearer, exept to tell you that you will need root privilege to run the "make install" command. The "make help" command just prints the contents of the INSTALL file, as above.

There is no file, or command, called "Make". There is a file called "Makefile". You don't run "Makefile" directly, it is just a text file, not an executable. Do just what the INSTALL instructions is telling you to do. Become root using "su", then type "make install" (without the quotes) while in the gvocab-0.2 directory . Notice that is "make", not "Make", lower case "m". Yes, you will need gcc (the C compiler) and perhaps a few other support libraries.

Sorry Pabblo, Should of said that ''There is no file, or command, called "Make".'' was the error message I got not a file name. If you look further up the thread you will see a list of the file names I have provided. I'm guessing the error message was because I was silly enough to make the 'Capital letter' mistake.

As for the instructions, for a compete Linux beginner 'make install' is not clear at all, make what exactly? There is no mention at all for how to use this command or where to type it. So you must pardon my ignorance for I know not what I do.
kind regards

[nick.stumpos]

i downloaded it. its just a python script while you in the gvocab folder just type
./gvocab