Follow up tar.gz files

[PsychoMonkey]

Hello again

I reposted this cause I have a different question re: tar.gz files (plus the fact that I'm trying to get my post numbers up )

I understand how to use the "tar" command, but I guess the question I have now is how does it create a structure?

In windows (pardon me for mentioning it) when you use a .exe file, the executable copies necessary files to the correct directories and updates the registry with the correct registry values. But when using the tar.gz files, it just seems to extract the files/folders to the current directory (in my case /home/"user"/). Is it ok to leave the files in the /home/"user" directory or do they need to be moved after they're extracted?

Sorry if this is a very freshman question, but inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks

 

[Logical_1]

As mentioned in the last thread, after extracting the files into whatever directory you're in by typing:

tar xzvf filename.tar.gz

You'll next need to

cd directory-created-after-extracting-files
./configure
make
make install

to put the files where they belong and make the program useful. If you have SSH access to the box locally, get me on MSN sometime and I can login to your computer and show you what to do and how it works. This is as close to an install procedure (albeit generic) as you're going to find for linux with tar.gz files.

 

[Duwenbasden]

you delete the source directory (where you perform the install), the installed program is in its designated folder (again, read the readme)

/opt/kde for KDE
/usr/local/ for Mozilla and friends