Can't install or build ANYTHING

[yonni]

I've just installed openSUSE KDE linux on my Samsung R20 laptop. The install actuall OS install went perfectly, no problems there. However, since booting, there are several problems, which I suspect are pretty easy to resolve "install **** driver" type ones. That's where we meet the problem

Firstly, it didn't recognise my Aetheros WIFI card. Therefore, no internet connection. This page suggested the MADWifi driver. So I used a windows PC to download that and save the source onto a USB stick which I put in to my Samsung R20. As told to by this page I went to that directory and typed the shell command "make" only to recieve the error "bash: make: command not found".

Some googling revieled that this means I'm missing the build-essential package, which I should be able to get using:
"sudo apt-get install build-essential"
however, this also gives the error "sudo: apt-get: command not found" which must (I think) mean that I lack the package for "apt-get".

HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO INSTALL ANYTHING IF I CAN'T a) connect to the internet and b) use apt-get and c) build from source??????

[anger over]

Any help would be much appreciated, please bear in mind that this is my first time with linux.

[Update]

Some more searching suggests installing gcc, make and kernel-source from the respositories. That would be fine if they were in the repositories that came on the OpenSUSE KDE CD (which they don't). The next suggestion was to find them from the main OSS software repository, which it suggests doing via the internet. Oh wait, looks like I've come full circle.

[gogalthorp]

I think there is a real problem with installing from the single CD. It simply does not have the room to fit all the required packages and things like OO and the other goodies. My advice is to download and install from the DVD or use a hardware lan connection to the Internet to get what you need from the repositories.

[yonni]

If I were to download the iso for the DVD would I beable to get the repositories straight from that?

[Dies]

If I were to download the iso for the DVD would I beable to get the repositories straight from that?

Not exactly, but you will have many, many more packages available to you during install including the ones you need to compile software.

[scrarfussi]

for the problem you posted on top you need to install make

[yonni]

Thanks for that guys, a real help. I've discoverd from other sources that I need gcc make and kernel-source packages, which should all be avaliable on the DVD

[MikeTbob]

HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO INSTALL ANYTHING IF I CAN'T a) connect to the internet and b) use apt-get and c) build from source??????

I had the same problem and I solved it once and for all by downloading Knoppix-5.1, which has MadWIFI installed.
1) Boot up the Knoppix CD
2) Configure WIFI
3) Download all needed Packages
4) Reboot to Opensuse, Copy over your files.
Or you could try using a Distro which has MadWIFI installed, like MEPIS, and Sabayon, I'm sure there are others with MadWIFI support too. Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[Jonathan183]

Some googling revieled that this means I'm missing the build-essential package, which I should be able to get using:
"sudo apt-get install build-essential"
however, this also gives the error "sudo: apt-get: command not found" which must (I think) mean that I lack the package for "apt-get".

If you are using openSUSE you should use Yast to do installing in almost all instances. People usually run into trouble by using other methods of installing sodtware.
Yast is a package manager for OpenSUSE, apt-get is not (its for Debian based distros).

Its worth having a quick look at this also.