What are all these directories under '/'?

[Sivatheja]

Hi,

I'm a windows user and migrated to Linux, VL is my first try and worked out to be excellent. Nice GUI and speed on my machine. I'm done with all Linux installations and tweaked into many options, and now my machine is ready.

Next step is to install the tar.gz softwares that I've downloaded. I have the following immediate questions.
(Mine is Vector Linux 5.8 Gold)

• I prefer wizards kind of installation. Is 'vpackager' such utility? I could not find it in the GSlapt pacage manager, any pointers in this regard?
• There are overwhelmingly many directories under '/' Any guide kind of thing to know what for each directory is meant for?
• Applications installed under root would be available for all other logins on the same machine?
• I've installed open office 2.2 using GSlapt package manager, but I dont find any Icons added in [V]-->[office] menu, but am able to use it.

Thanks a million,
Sivatheja.

[bigpaws]

Not all tar.gz are the same.

I prefer wizards kind of installation. Is 'vpackager' such utility? I could not find it in the GSlapt pacage manager, any pointers in this regard?

No vpackager is for making Vector packages from source. You can try
midnight commander or pkgtool.

There are overwhelmingly many directories under '/' Any guide kind of thing to know what for each directory is meant for?

http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/linuxdir.html

Applications installed under root would be available for all other logins on the same machine?

Yes, if they are designed to be run as a normal user.

There are some things that will help in your transition to Linux.

1.   Linux is different from Windows in file structure, user permissions
      and philosophy to name a few. What you learned from Windows
      will not apply to Linux.

2.   Google is your friend. When searching it will help to use linux before
       a query.

3.   Reading is required. Linux will return what you put into it. If you spend
      time reading and learning it will pay off in an easier user experience.

4.   There is a learning curve be prepared for it. When you first started using
       Windows there was a learning curve, expect one here.

HTH

Bigaws

[Sivatheja]

Thanks for the link, I'm prepared to any curve

[Sivatheja]

The link says that each user installations go to /usr/local directory. I'm a Java guy, and would make my machine a development box.  So want the installation usable for all. I've downloaded things, and now want to install.

So as root where should the installations go?

[newt]

Some default directories have changed since the edits of that link (2005).  Also, every distro is left to do things as they wish in regards to the linux directory structure.  With that said, /usr is the normal place VL (and slackware) install packages, although it seems sometimes /usr/local will be used .  From that directory the package will place its contents in various other subdirectories based on the content; i.e. executable will go to /usr/bin or /usr/sbin, libraries will go to /usr/lib, documentation will go to /usr/doc, etc...  Understanding all of this is beneficial but not crucial, and there are exceptions to any rule (kde gets installed to /opt/kde).

I believe the java installer prompts you for the install directory (prefix) which should be '/usr'; this is just the java installers starting point - it will place its contents in the correct subdirectories automatically.  Once installed it will be available for all users.

Hope this helps.

[Sivatheja]

Thanks a lot.

[rbistolfi]

/usr/local seems to be the default on almost every configure script. So if the packager is a little lazy there ends the binary. Sivatheja, you will get used to the filesystem pretty soon, and you will find your way of doing things. For example, I install most of my software with the /usr/local prefix because I like to trace what I have done to the system beyond the vl defaults. In that way I know that if it is in /usr/local I put it there and is my responsibility and not a bug if something goes wrong. Also  I install big programs in /opt, as the custom suggest, but also any that comes in a binary form and does not need to be compiled. In that way I can upgrade or remove easily just deleting the binary and any symlink I could made. Examples are the Google apps or Skype and such.
As you probably noted, there is many ways for the same thing, and you have to find your own. My little advice is to go slow and setep by step, so you can ensure a good experience and not overheat your head with too much information, that works for me

[Sivatheja]

Thanks for all your inputs.