Installing Packaging Tools

[morawski]

This is a very basic question, but I'm confused on how to unpackage a .tgz, without Slackware packaging tools (Because that's exactly what I'm trying to unpackage)

So, it's a .tgz file and I tried 'tar -zvxf <pkg>.tgz' and it unpacks, of course, but not to the right place. How do I untar is so it doesn't just create usr, bin, sbin, etc directories in whatever directory I happen to be in? What command options do I use so it untars to where it's SUPPOSED to go?

I know this question is idiotically simple, but I can't seem to find the answer in the man pages or after much searching online.

EDIT: Also, while I'm on the subject...I tried going to the / directory and untarring it, but it still didn't work. I mean, it untarred, but the package tools weren't installed. How can I undo the tar, just in case I overwrote files/messed something up? Somethings tells me this isn't possible.

Thanks in advance,
~morawski

[serz]

You're not supossed to uncompress the .tgz package and compile it...

installpkg packagename.tgz

[morawski]

Let me clarify: I don't have the packaging tools for Slackware, such as installpkg, removepkg, updatepkg, makepkg, explodepkg. The .tgz file I am trying to untar contains these tools.
~morawski

[puntmuts]

It is just a normal tarbal, so you can unpack it with tar -xzvf <archivename>. After that you could use the newly unpacked pkgtools to install the package again.

[Krendoshazin]

why do you not have those tools, did you try running them as a superuser? if you run them as a normal user it'll just says "command not found"

[gimp335]

Hmm... I don't see how you got Slackware without the pkgtools either, BUT, you could always get the pkgtools source from your favorite Slackware mirror and install them that way.

[Wesley/g]

Or you could just put the installation disc in and only install that package at setup. Just dont format any partitions on accident.

[morawski]

I wasn't sure why I didn't have the package tools either...now I know, I DID have the package tools, afterall.

Wasn't aware you had to have root priveledges

Well, you learn something new everyday..and with Linux this is an understatement.

Thanks for putting up with me, all,
~morawski

[Scourge]

If you don't have pkgtool installed.
Go to slackware.com
Packages
And select 10.1 / current (depends do you want stable or "unstable)

(Both can work fine)