Gentoo Command

[Dude500]

I read that the gentoo command "emerge" installs programs, well I was wondering if you can install any kind of file using emerge like if it is a .tar.gz file or a .rpm file and so on.

[Slip]

No you can not.

Portage (emerge) uses ebuilds which are located at /usr/portage, the ebuild file tells portage where to download the source of the program and how to compile it.

You may write an ebuild, they have a great guide on the website in the Documents section. Or you can simply compile it like you would on any other Linux box.

[genesus]

if you want to search for an ebuild the you could emerge --search programname. There is also a webpage that lists all of the ebuilds in a very easy to follow order. There are ebuilds out there for almost everything you may want...you may have to read about unmasking unstable and other keywords or specific packages if they are not finished yet or if the ebuild hasn't been sufficiantly tested...you should go to the gentoo site and read the section in the handbook on "portage", it is a very good package management system.

[Dude500]

How do you compile a program

[josolanes]

How do you compile a program

do you mean one you've downloaded not using emerge or when using emerge?

emerge automatically compiles the program and does all the other necessary things for it to run if you're using emerge (besides adjust your configuration files if, for example, you've emerged x11-xorg).

if you mean compile a file you've downloaded as source (usually with the extension of either tar.gz or tar.bz2), go here: http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/softinstall.html
this link will give you very good instructions on compiling from source

[variant]

you can install allmost all software with the command

emerge packagenamehere

the command will download the tar.gz from the internet, unpack it, configure and compile it - all automaticaly with no user intervention needed at all.

So in answer to your question, Yes emerge can install tar.gz's and somtimes it will download rpm's which it will change into tar.gz. you dont need to know anything about the tar.gz or rpm or anything. you dont need to look for software on the net and manualy download anything.

just type "emerge gimp" or "emerge kde" or "emerge mplayer" into a command window. its totaly automated and deals with dependancies automaticaly in the same way too.

there must be an "ebuild" for the aplication stored on your hard disk (this is taken care of during gentoo installation) an ebuild is just a "script" written by gentoo devs which tells "emerge" where to get the source code (tar.gz) from and what to do with it.

[Dude500]

Thanks for the help

[loft306]

another place to search for packages is http://gentoo-portage.com

[Dude500]

so I have to be on the internet to use emerge or something like that

[dylunio]

If you want to get the packages fr m the net yes. But you can settup gentoo to look for packages on a cd iirc.