I have seen Linux software packages on the Internet that end in.tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tgz, and.deb. How do I install these types of software in Fedora Core 4?
A1:
Software packages that end in .deb are for the Debian Linux operating system and operating systems that are based on it; they are not easily usable with Fedora Core 4. Files ending in .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, or .tgz are not software packages; they usually contain application source code that must be built using a C compiler and other command-line tools. Sometimes they also contain the finished programs themselves, but they still lack the dependency information needed to make them true software packages. Instructions for installing software from source code are beyond the scope of this book, but the man pages for tar and gunzip contain enough information to help you access these types of files.
Q2:
I am trying to install a software package that seems to have an endless list of dependencies. I've managed to get packages to resolve some of these dependencies, but each of these new packages has dependencies of its own. What gives?
A2:
This situation often happens when a package you are trying to install was intended for a different version of Fedora Core 4 or for a different Linux operating system that also uses the RPM package format. Usually, a lengthy list of dependencies, which continues to grow with each new package, indicates that the software package you began with will not be easy to install. Try to install the package with yum, discussed in the next chapter. If that fails, try instead to find a version of the software package for Fedora Core 4.
