Installing Linux Applications

Installing Linux applications can be a bit tricky... but I , Abhishek nehra , walks you through the do's and dont's in this extensive how-to.

How to Install Linux Applications

There are several different types of installation files for Ubuntu, and few of them are as easy to install as the EXE installation files found on Windows. If you need to download an application to your system that is not found in Add/Remove Applications, then you will find yourself with one of several different types of files: .deb, .rpm, .bin, .tar.gz, INSTALL, .sh, etc.

These different files all have a different method of execution. Below is instructions on installing these file types. This tutorial assumes you are running the latest version of Ubuntu, 8.10 Intrepid.

Installing DEB files

A .deb file is the easiest file to install on Ubuntu--if you are given an option for the type of file you want to download, choose this option.
Save the file to your Desktop. Once it is there, simply double click on the file and the system package installer will open. Click the button in the top right corner that says "Install Package", and wait for it to say finished. Close the window. Your application is now installed and ready to use.

Installing RPM files

DEB files are the default installation file for Ubuntu--if at all possible, you should choose a .deb file over any other file type. However, sometimes an application is only available in one or two formats, none of which are Ubuntu-flavored. RPM is one such file type. In order to install this file, you will need to convert it into something Ubuntu knows how to install--a .deb file!
To do this, open the Terminal and type: sudo apt-get install alien.
You will be prompted to enter your password. After entering, press the return key. You will see some code scroll by quickly, and then you will be presented with the option to continue or quit the installation. Type 'Y' and press the return key.
You will see the Alien application installing; this app will be used to convert your RPM file into a DEB file. Installation could take several minutes depending on your Internet and computer speeds.
Once finished, move the RPM file to your Desktop and open the Terminal. Type: cd Desktop. This will point your Terminal to your Desktop directory where you have the RPM file saved.
Now, to install the RPM file, in the Terminal, type: sudo alien -k filename.rpm
Replace filename.rpm with the actual name of the RPM file, then press the return key. It will convert the RPM file to a DEB file. Once finished, install the DEB file using the method above.

Install BIN files

A BIN file is similar to an RPM file, in that Ubuntu can't understand how to install it until you convert it into a different format. To do this, follow these instructions.

Download and save the BIN file to your systems Desktop. Once saved, open the Terminal and type: cd Desktop

Once you've cd'ed to the Desktop, type the following line into the Terminal: sudo chmod +x filename.bin

Change filename.bin to the name of your BIN file and press the return key. Nothing will show up in the Terminal, nothing will be copied to the Desktop--it will appear as if nothing at all happened. This is not the case, however, so do not worry. Type ./filename.bin and press the return key.
The program will install from within the Terminal.

Installing a Tar.Gz Archive

Many programs are still wrapped in a tar.gz archive folder. This is similar to a ZIP file, in that all the files are contained inside, but you can't simply extract an executable file. Installing an application from tar.gz is called install from source. To do that, follow the next instructions.

Download the tar.gz to your desktop, right click and choose extract here. A folder by the same name will be extracted to your desktop. Now, open the Terminal and type: cd desktop.

This will let your work within the Desktop directory. Now, within the same Terminal window, type: cd foldername

This will let you work from within the folder you extracted from the tar.gz. Inside this folder will be a file that says program-installer. To install this, type in the Terminal: sh program-installer
This will install the program from within the Terminal. Simply follow the directions as they appear.