Can't Run Binary code?

[dalinux_n00bie]

on many programs I try to run from an extracted tar.gz file I get this message saying that it cannot run a binary code. What is going on?

Here is an example of what I try todo:

kirk@linux-n4y1:~> cd /home/kirk/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull
kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull> sh terminus
terminus: terminus: cannot execute binary file
kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull>

[Zelmo]

Check that it's executable.
Do:

ls -l terminus

If it doesn't show any executable flags, do

chmod +x terminus

[dalinux_n00bie]

This is what happens:


kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull> ls -l terminus
-rwxr-xr-x 1 kirk users 1759216 2000-06-14 06:39 terminus
kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull> chmod +x terminus
kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull> sh terminus
terminus: terminus: cannot execute binary file
kirk@linux-n4y1:~/downloads/TerminusDemoLinuxFull>

do I have to be in root?

[Zelmo]

No, you shouldn't need to be root. Everyone has permission to execute the program.

From Googling a bit, it looks like the "cannot execute binary file" message comes when you're trying to run a program that was compiled for a different architecture. So if you're running an x86 Linux kernel and you downloaded the x86-64 version of the program (or the PPC, Alpha, Sparc, ARM, or other version), it won't run.

[dalinux_n00bie]

k...how would i check to see if i have the right version?

[dalinux_n00bie]

I'm really confused because on most web sites that have a tar.gz file it dosn't mention the exact Linux flavors that it can run one. Help anyone?