I need help with Red Hat Linux:I need an Instant Messenger like Trillian

[damunzy]

Just had some major problems with Windows XP while trying to partition my HDD with Partion Magic 7.0. Tried to reinstall WinXP and kept having video problems with it. Decided to go with Red Hat and possibly load WinXP later so I can play my games (although...if I find that I can play NWN and CS in Linux I might give MS the 1 fingered salute).

I have some basic UNIX experience and this OS is so much like Windows, or Windows is so much like it, doesn't matter, the point is I have no problem using it so far. My problem is not knowing how to install the instant messenger I downloaded. I have downloaded imici_linux_2.2.0.tar.gz but need to know how to install it. I am going to mess around a bit but would appreciate any help form you guys out there. Thanks.

 

[damunzy]

Well, finally figured out how to gunzip the file, or actually tar -xzf filename. Now if I could only figure out why this program won't let me use my registered account. Oh well, know of any more programs out there anyone?

 

[damunzy]

Well, I now have Licq and AIM running....not quite what I wanted to do but it will work, for now. Still looking for something for Linux that will cover all 4 message services.

 

[damunzy]

I see there is no help out there? That is too bad.

Well, I got XP back up. Win2K and XP both refused to work with my new video card during install. Win98 and Red Hat Linux v7.3 ran without a problem. I had to throw my old card back in just so I could load up Win2K Adv Ser and WinXP Pro.

My system now:
HD A: Windows Stuff
Drive C (Label: WINDOWS, 10Gigs)
Win 98SE
Win 2000 Advanced Server
Windows XP Professional
Drive D (Label: PROGRAMS, 10Gigs)
Drive E (Label: DOWNLOADS, 10 Gigs)
Drive F (Label: BACKUP, 8Gigs)
HD B: Linux Stuff
Ext3 (/ 4 Gigs)
Ext3 (/home 3 Gigs)
Swap (/swap 900MB)
I am using Partition Commander Deluxe, which was interesting to learn. I bought it a few years ago but gave up on using it. Not too difficult after tinkering around with it a bit.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

4 posts in a row...this looks like SPAM!!! But I'll leave it because it is rather intruiging!

And I must say that that is a LOT of partitions! I have 2(3 if you count my 2nd HD) THey are organized as follows:

HD A: Main stuff
Drive C (Label: Drive C, 50 GB)
Win 98 SE
Win XP Home

Drive D (Label: Drive D, 50 GB)
Storage, plus all internet downloads, CFC threads, and p2p programs.

HD B: Nostalgia
This drive is 20GB that I am filling, and I mean FILLING, with ancient progs and stuff. I am going to load more and more stuff on it until I have a fairly decent library of computer program history. I have loaded a total of about 400 of those old 5 1/2(maybe 5 1/4, i forget) disks onto that drive which is now running dos 1.1, thinking about upgrade to Dos 3 or 4 depending on requirements of programs. The disks were actually easy to come by, I bought a huge collection from e-bay and have gone around collecting from family...managed to land a commodore 64 with about 50 seperate progs including games on it that I loaded on as well. I am currently using various methods to get some older progs to run on the newer hardware and I'm actually thinking of setting up another machine and devoting this one entirely to the project. Then I could put in some slightly older hardware and flash the BIOS to an older version and not spend much money. I'm also thinking about 6 or 7 different partitions so that I can make different set ups for different stages in computer history. I am also trying to get my hands on an old amiga system.

As you can tell, I am a tad bit involved with this project recently.

This thread = Successfully jacked!

 

[Padma]

Sorry, PH. I've been having some connectivity problems and didn't see this thread.

As for your original question, if you got it unzipped and untarred (the tar -xzf would have done all that ), most of these Linux programs come with an "install" script. See if there's one in the directory you unzipped to and run that. You may need to run an "autoconfig" before it, check for a script named that, also.

Of course, most progs I've downloaded for Linux have a "README" that says something like: run autoconfig, then run install.

If you still have problems, I'll try to help.


Edit: @gonzo: Sorry, threadjack unsuccessful. Please try again.

 

[damunzy]

Hehe, thread jacking is cool by me as long as we are still talking computer stuff....or maybe something else equally cool (can't really think of any, but I am sure that women and audio/video equipment are close enough ).

There was a readme.txt, not very helpful, and there was an install file....I vied it and it was just text, not a script as far as I can tell....I will look again. There was an executeable, which I ran, but the program is half-baked for Linux...all their online help files are for Windows, what ones there are. Oh well, no one said that Linux would be easy.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

So as I was saying, this computer library will be cool. I am also going to bid on the ENIAC, one of the oldest of it's kind, that will be auctioned soon. I am willing to pay 50K for it but no more. If I get it, then I wil put it in my downstairs!

I wonder if an eniac would run linux

 

[damunzy]

You thread jacker

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

No I'm not! I'm a really cool guy

On-topic, If anyone here does use linux, please visit more often, as it seems linux knowledge is a weak point of this forum

 

[damunzy]

Man! Padma, come back to us! We need Linux knowledge!

 

[Padma]

I'd like to come back, PH! But my Linux knowledge is in temporary storage as I haven't yet worked up the nerve to wipe my HD / repartition / reformat/ reinstall everything. That looks like the only real solution to my partition problem I told you about a while back.

 

[Gastric ReFlux]

Another thing to keep in mind if you're using Red Hat or Mandrake is that many programs may be downloaded as RPMs and you can use the RPM utilities, from command line or the graphical utilities in KDE or Gnome to install the program. The RPM can make it easier to figure out unsatisfied dependencies.

 

[damunzy]

Unfortunately there was no RPM for icimi....ohwell, I got some ideas from a friend that uses Linux a lot, goign to try them out soon. I am running XP right so Linux has been put to the background I really need another computer!