Running applications installed with Synaptic

[Ruddo]

Hello all, first time poster with little Linux experience, but trying to improve!

I'm running Ubuntu 8.04 and was hoping to do some C++ studying using my Ubuntu desktop rather than my Windows desktop.

My problem is that I have used Synaptic to install a number of programs, including the GNU C++ Compiler.

However, once installed, I can't find my new programs anywhere. Coming from many years using Windows and only using Linux for a week so far, I am of course automatically looking for these new apps in the Applications menu.

Question is, how do I run applications that I've installed with Synaptic (with GNU C++ Compiler as the main example, but I've also installed Gmail Notify).

Apologies if this is a really daft question!

[GNU-Fan]

Hello,

well, the GNU C++ compiler is just that, a compiler
I think you do mistake it for an integrated development environment (IDE).

It would do not much sense to call the compiler from a menu, because, what should it do? Where is the file you want it to progress?

Rather, you can invoke the compiler (and linker) on the command line like
"g++ helloworld.cpp". He will process the source file, compile and link it to an executable called "a.out".

How you write the source files is completely independent of this. You can use any text editor you like. I prefer the text editor "gedit" for GNOME, "kate" for KDE.

But of course, there are IDEs too, which are text editor that know how to talk to the compiler. My favorite IDE is called "NetBeans".

[Ruddo]

Hi GNU-fan, thanks for the reply.

Yes, it may take a while to get used to using the terminal after so long using Windows.

However, I'm wondering if I've not installed the compiler properly, because I've saved a file called "sample.cpp" on my desktop, then opened the terminal, which opens with the prompt:

username@username-desktop:~$

And I'm typing "g++ sample.cpp"

but I get the error message:

g++: sample.cpp: No such file or directory
g++: no input files

I expect it's something simple I haven't done (or have done incorrectly) but at the moment I'm stumped...

[Ruddo]

Ah - I think I see the problem...

username@username-desktop:~$ isn't actually the desktop directory, is it?

you need to "cd Desktop" to change to the correct directory...and it's case sensitive as well!

Sorry

[Ruddo]

And now I understand - it's because "username-desktop" is the name of the computer...

D'oh!!

There's a good chance there may be several more "D'oh!" moments in the coming weeks and months...

[GNU-Fan]

There's a good chance there may be several more "D'oh!" moments in the coming weeks and months...

Yeah. We all had to go through these.

The good thing is, after every time it occurred to yourself, it usually sticks into your brain, until your name is Homer, of course

Read here for help on the first steps