Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

[galacticaboy]

Ok I am a linux dummy, I can do some stuff, but I cannot do anything with these dang tar.bz2 and tar.bz files. How do I extract them, where do I put them, what do I do. And please tell me like I was just born out of my mother, please help me in the easiest way to explain to a dummy. Thanks =-]!
David

[The Liquidator]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

First things first, welcome.

Secondly, let's see if you actually need to do this.

I assume these are program files that you have downloaded, as you would do with windows. If so, you have probably downloaded source code, the installation of which should not be one's first experience of linux.

What programs are they and have you looked in your package manager to see if they are already available in the repositories, which will save you pain and suffering?

[arochester]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Unless you know what you are doing - DON'T!

Try to install from Repository first.

Try to install from .deb second.

As an ABSOLUTELY LAST RECOURSE install from a .tar

Look at "Installing Software in Ubuntu" - http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware
and "How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu!" - http://amitech.50webs.com/installing/index.php.html

[galacticaboy]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

I have downloaded and Emulator for the Super Nintendo, I know its childlike but oh well, its Zsnes, it is not in the repository and I cannot find a .deb file for it. It will only come in Tar.bz2 I think it is, or .bz. There is an emulator in the repository but do not like it. The sound is screwed up. I would like to know how to install it and extract it. And this way I can know how to do it for future reference. Thank you and thanks for the welcome!
David

[The Liquidator]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Zsnes is in the repository

http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/zsnes

If you are using kpackagekit as your package manager it may be that it's not showing the package - it's not very good. Or it may simply be that since install you haven't updated your package lists, in which case the system might only know about the packages on the CD.

You are better off using either synaptic or adept as a package manager - far more credible than kpackagekit.

I'm assuming you are unfamiliar with updates - forgive me if that's wrong. Load a terminal and type

sudo apt-get update

Return
Password
Return

this will update your package lists.

Then

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Return

To download and install all available updates for your installed packages

Then

sudo apt-get install synaptic adept

Return

This will download and install the better package managers.

Loading either one should then let you search for zsnes. Alternatively simply type

sudo apt-get install zsnes

HTH

[Yuri sss]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

I have downloaded and Emulator for the Super Nintendo, I know its childlike but oh well, its Zsnes, it is not in the repository and I cannot find a .deb file for it. It will only come in Tar.bz2 I think it is, or .bz. There is an emulator in the repository but do not like it. The sound is screwed up. I would like to know how to install it and extract it. And this way I can know how to do it for future reference. Thank you and thanks for the welcome!
David

Open Synaptic (install it with sudo apt-get synaptic if you don't have it), then go to Settings > Repositories.
Switch to the second tab, click on the "Add" button at the bottom and enter:
ppa:smaxein/ppa

Confirm all dialogs, the click the "Reload" button in Synaptic. Enter zsnes in the Search box, right-click the znes entry in the list below and select "Mark for Installation". Then click the "Apply" button in Synaptic to install it.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Try to install from Repository first.

Try to install from .deb second.

Solid advice. However, it's also important to learn how to use linux, you won't be a beginner for ever. So the answer to your question is:

How do I extract them, where do I put them, what do I do.

To extract files from a tar archive, you open a terminal/konsole window, and type tar -xvf filename where filename is the .tar.bz or .tar.gz file.

If the file name is program-1.2.3.tar.bz, it will create a directory called program-1.2.3. You need to cd into that directory, and read the README and INSTALL files, which usually give instructions on how to compile the program.

To reiterate the advice already given, compiling source code is a fairly advanced topic for experienced users. On the other hand, there is only one way to get experience with it...

Edit: I almost forgot. To get information on how to use a command, type man command. In this case, man tar will give you information on how to use the tar command. Unfortunately, man pages are often written "by engineers, for engineers", so they can be gobblygook to us ordinary humans sometimes. But they are there, and you should learn to use them.

[Snowhog]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

You can also just click (or double-click if you have that configured) on the file and it will open with Ark. From there, just extract, which will give you the 'un-zipped' archive, which will still have to be further extracted.

[galacticaboy]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Wow, thanks for all the help guys, you all awesome! =-] Every other site I go to they talk to me like I have a friggin Phd in Linux, you guys treated me like a dummy!! Thanks! =-]
David

[galacticaboy]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

One more quick thing, I have got Zsnes, so thank you for that, but now I need another program for it called Zbattle. If I go to their website, zbattle.net I can download the linux tar.gz file, but even with all the help I am still having trouble extracting and compiling. Does anyone know of a .deb file for it or a software repository I can add to Synaptic that may have it, if not that is cool but just wondering. Thank for the help!
David

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Hmm. Worked here:

greenman@Wolfenstein:~/Downloads$ tar -xvf zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static.tar.gz
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/README
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/netplay.patch
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/zbat
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/zsnes
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/CHANGELOG

I don't know anything about the program itself, but it seems to extract properly.

Edit: There does seem to be a conflict between the version of qt required to run the program (1.3), and what is installed in kubuntu (QT version 4). Not sure what to do about that.

[galacticaboy]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

When I do that all I get is this...

david@david-desktpo:~/Downloads$ tar -xvf zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static.tar.gz
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/README
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/netplay.patch
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/zbat

gzip: stdin: unexpected end of file
tar: Unexpected EOF in archive
tar: Unexpected EOF in archive
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

Hmm. Worked here:

greenman@Wolfenstein:~/Downloads$ tar -xvf zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static.tar.gz
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/README
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/netplay.patch
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/zbat
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/zsnes
zbattle.net-1.09sr1-static/CHANGELOG

I don't know anything about the program itself, but it seems to extract properly.

Edit: There does seem to be a conflict between the version of qt required to run the program (1.3), and what is installed in kubuntu (QT version 4). Not sure what to do about that.

[sithlord48]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

is there any reason that you have to use zsnes as your snes emulator. i personally perfer snes-gtk. you can install it from the playdeb repositiory. first you will have to enable it. this one is very easy they provide a .deb file. simply download and then open it (or rt.click and open with ->Gdebi package installer). after that you can install snes-gtk from synaptic.
(be sure to reload your package cache before after adding any new repository)

[galacticaboy]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

I already have Zsnes, and yes it is in my opinion the best one out there. I am trying to get Zbattle now. And I am trying to extract and compile the .tar.gz file and I do not know how.

is there any reason that you have to use zsnes as your snes emulator. i personally perfer snes-gtk. you can install it from the playdeb repositiory. first you will have to enable it. this one is very easy they provide a .deb file. simply download and then open it (or rt.click and open with ->Gdebi package installer). after that you can install snes-gtk from synaptic.
(be sure to reload your package cache before after adding any new repository)

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Tar.bz2 and tar.bz

Looks like you may have a bad download. That happens. Try downloading it again.