installing programs

[focus_water]

i am new to SuSE and im sure that it is easy but i dont know how to install software. i am trying to install aMSN. someone told me that i had to write ./configure, or something like that anyway but i dont know where to write it.

[unchiujar]

Since I don't understand what you're refering to I'll try to explain.
There are several way of install programs on Linux systems.

One is through compiling and installing.
In a console change to the directory containing the sources, configure the compiling options, compile, and install:

cd [directory]
./configure
make
make install

A second method is installing from packges precompiled for your particular system.
In Suse I thing you use yast ( I use Fedora). Look at the link for Suse
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/qna/15977.html

A third method is using source packages which you compile and install as you would precompiled packages

For more explanations:
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...are-linux.html

[focus_water]

when i typed in ./configure i got this message.

checking for prefix by checking for wish... /usr/bin/wish
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.

[gogalthorp]

when i typed in ./configure i got this message.

checking for prefix by checking for wish... /usr/bin/wish
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.

You need to install gcc before you can compile.

Go to Yast-Software management in the search type gcc select gcc gcc-c++

accept. this should install what you need to compile c++ and c source files.

you should only need your installation disks.

I don't know why these are not installed by default?? It seems like everyone needs them at one time or another.

[focus_water]

ok well i installed those files and now i think i need something else as well. i get the message saying

checking tcl build dir... ./configure: line 2852: locate: command not found
configure: error: Unable to find Tcl directory or Tcl package is not tcl-dev

[AlexK]

install the tcl-dev package...

usually the error message will give you an indication in what to do next.

[focus_water]

where do i download the tcl-dev package from?

[gogalthorp]

where do i download the tcl-dev package from?

Same place Yast do a search for tcl-dev

If you can't find it you may want to add a few more download sources to your repository list.

Here is a good starting point

http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/254

[focus_water]

yast didnt find it. but i dont know what im meant to be looking for on that site.

[AlexK]

yast didnt find it. but i dont know what im meant to be looking for on that site.

read the part about adding sources to yast..... or look at suse's instructions on adding repos here: http://en.opensuse.org/Additional_Ya...e_Repositories