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Re: Installing tar files



on Sun, Oct 22, 2000 at 07:50:19AM -0700, Shel Johnson (cachemonet@yahoo.com) wrote:
> 
> --- Colin Watson <cjw44@flatline.org.uk> wrote:
> > Shel Johnson <cachemonet@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >I'm attempting to install a .tar.gz file.. I've successfully gunzip the
> > >file, but I've forgotten how to complete the rest of the installation
> > >process.. HELP!!!
> > 
> > 'tar xzvf filename.tar.gz' is the usual incantation; run 'tar tzvf
> > filename.tar.gz' first to find out where it's going to put things. If
> > you've already gunzipped it, leave out the 'z' flag.
> > 
> > -- 
> > Colin Watson                                     [cjw44@flatline.org.uk]
> Ok, I've run the tar tzvf filename.tar.gz command.. what's next??.. isn't
> there some kind of an 'install' command??

Expanding on several other responses.

A tar archive isn't a sofware packaging format, it's a structure for
archiving a set of files to be easily transportable or saved to backup
media.  Essentially, you're putting everything into a box.

In the same sense that a box can hold a wide range of things (cookies,
clothes, furniture, books, live chickens, an exotic dancer), a tar
archive can hold files, programs, data, system backups, or possibly a
build tree for some software.

Usually there are instructions either at the site from which you
obtained the file or in the top-level directory of the archive itself
which tell you how to proceed once you've received the archive.
Typically, this will be a file named README or INSTALL.

Check the archive itself, the site you received it from, or provide
specific details on what it is you've downloaded and/or are trying to do
with it.

-- 
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