CD to what directory? Installation confusion.

[sandlynx]

I'm trying to install swaret1.6.3 in Slackware 13.0. This is my first time doing this, so I'm stuck.
I went through: makdir /home/username/src done
Next, cd to /home/username/src - done
ls to see if the file is present. Console didn't tell me anything, but it's listed in the file manager now, so it's there.
Next I did tar -zxvf <filename>
Here's the results displayed on console:
bash-3.1# tar -zxvf /home/sandy/src/swaret-1.6.3-noarch-2gds.tgz
./
usr/
usr/src/
usr/src/slackbuilds/
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/swaret-1.6.3-newext-fix.diff
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/slack-required
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.SlackBuild
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/swaret-1.6.3-depcheck-fix.diff
usr/src/slackbuilds/swaret-1.6.3/slack-desc
usr/doc/
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/HELP
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/README
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/ChangeLog
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/FAQ
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/LICENSE
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.conf
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/TODO
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/HOW-TO-USE-SWARET/
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/HOW-TO-USE-SWARET/htus.ENGLISH
usr/doc/swaret-1.6.3/HOW-TO-USE-SWARET/htus.POLISH
usr/man/
usr/man/man5/
usr/man/man5/swaret.conf.5.gz
usr/man/man8/
usr/man/man8/swaret.8.gz
usr/sbin/
usr/sbin/swaret
usr/share/
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ARABIC
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.DANSK
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.POLISH
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ESPANOL
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.MALAY
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.FRANCAIS
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ENGLISH
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ITALIANO
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.LITHUANIAN
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.HUNGARIAN
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.CZECH
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.SVENSKA
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.RUSSIAN.koi8r
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.NORSK
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.RUSSIAN.cp1251
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.DEUTSCH
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.SUOMI
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.PORTUGUES
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.NEDERLANDS
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.SLOVAK
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.PORTUGUES_BR
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.CATALA
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.TURKISH
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ENGLISH_GB
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.ESPANOL_MX
usr/share/swaret-1.6.3/swaret.lang.BULGARIAN
install/
install/slack-required
install/doinst.sh
install/slack-desc
etc/
etc/swaret.conf.new
bash-3.1# ls
etc slapt-get-0.10.2f-i386-1.tgz usr
firefox-3.6.7bg-i686-1gds.txz smart-1.2-i486-1gds.txz
install swaret-1.6.3-noarch-2gds.tgz
bash-3.1#
The instructions tell me that "you should now have a new directory, containing all of the source files. To confirm it exists, and to get its name, use the 'ls" command.
As you can see above, I did the ls command, and got the results:

bash-3.1# ls
etc slapt-get-0.10.2f-i386-1.tgz usr
firefox-3.6.7bg-i686-1gds.txz smart-1.2-i486-1gds.txz
install swaret-1.6.3-noarch-2gds.tgz
bash-3.1#
Next it says we now need to go into the new directory, so use the cd command. Here's where I'm stuck; I don't understand. What directory am I supposed to cd to? Out of that stuff above, what directory am I supposed to cd to? A little help here. I don't have a clue how to read this!
What new directory? Where does it tell me what the new directory is?

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

Did you try installing it with pkgtool, or installpkg?

The Slackware Linux Project: Configuration Help

[reed9]

It looks like you downloaded a precompiled package, not the source code, so as Ozar said, it can be installed normally with Slackware's package tools.

Buuut, the last swaret release was 2006. I would not bet on that package being compatible with Slackware 13.

In fact, looking around, there is this thread which suggests swaret does not work with Slackware 13.0

[oz]

Buuut, the last swaret release was 2006. I would not bet on that package being compatible with Slackware 13.

Ah, that would explain why there wasn't a package for it at LinuxPackages.net, where I used to find lots of my Slackware packages. Fours years old is getting really long in the tooth for a Linux package. Sounds like the developer has totally abandoned it the project.

I think slackpkg is what lots of Slackers use now, but I've never tried it.

[sandlynx]

Thanks to both of you. That helped. As you can see, I'm really new to this, but game. I'm not collge trained, just learning as I go along.
I got the package from Slackpack in Bulgaria, and it said the package was created for Slackware 13.0. I'd say it does not work with 13.0 as suggested in the above thread.
I'll try pkgtool.

[reed9]

Thanks to both of you. That helped. As you can see, I'm really new to this, but game. I'm not collge trained, just learning as I go along.
I got the package from Slackpack in Bulgaria, and it said the package was created for Slackware 13.0. I'd say it does not work with 13.0 as suggested in the above thread.
I'll try pkgtool.

Actually, let me retract what I said. According to Slackpack, the packager has patched swaret to work with Slackware 13.0. So while the original developer seems to have abandoned the project, it continues yet.

So you should give it a whirl and install it it using installpkg.

su -c 'installpkg /home/sandy/src/swaret-1.6.3-noarch-2gds.tgz'

[sandlynx]

reed,
I see you have a "-c" option, but I don't see that option listed in Slackware Essentials book under Slackware Package Management. What is the "-c" option? Wouldn't I want to use the "-m" option?
OK, I"ll give it a try.

[reed9]

su(1): run shell with substitute user/group IDs - Linux man page

The -c flag is to run a command with root privileges.

[sandlynx]

"Substitute user"? I have root privileges. The purpose to this would be?: "The given home directory will be used as the root of the new filesystem which the user is actually logged into."?
Thanks for your help. I'll get this all together some day. RTFM.

[reed9]

You can use su to run a command as a different user. Much of the time, you do this to run a command as root. Or just log in to the shell as root

su -

Run your commands and then exit.

But unless you need to do a lot of stuff as root, it's generally preferred not to log in as such. The above runs just the one command as root. Some distros, notably Ubuntu, utilize sudo and disable the root account altogether.

The assumption is of course that you have a user account separate from root and are running as the user. It's not recommended to run your system as root.