Opening up downloaded files in Linux?

[Videoplusman]

Installed Mandrake 8.1. We have downloaded files ( limeWire, Netscape Installer..etc.) and can find them in the directory but can't open these things. Any ideas?

TIA, Dave

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

if they are executeable scripts or binaries, (i know the limewire one is), you have to chmod +x filename to make them executeable, then when still in that directory, type ./filename (thats dot slash)

 

[nino]

I'm running the same thing but there are 2 things that I've done that have made my Linux experience awesome.

1) Forget Netscape and go to www.mozilla.org and get the latest release. It is lighter and quicker that Netscape IMHO. I love it.
2) Download the Acqua themes and install them. THey make using KDE pretty enjoyable as things are better looking than the default KDE theme.

 

[NorcoO1]

KDE is a piece of crap, stay away from that GUI, use Gnome. If your into different desktops, use something like Ximian. Also, try opera, opera is a lot better than Netscape/Mozilla. peace~

 

[magicslax]

you must be trying to start a flame war. in my fully qualified opinion, mozilla is better than opera for more reasons than i have time to enumerate. kde, while i dont use it myself, has numerous strengths.

saying 'program x is a piece of crap' doesnt add to the conversation. try 'you might want to use program y instead of program x.'

 

[Sunner]

Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see what the last three posts have to do with the original question.

If the files you downloaded have the extension ".tar.gz", then they are gzipped tarballs, un zip/tar them using the following command "tar -zxvf some-file.tar.gz", the -z is for unzip.
If they are just plain binaries, BingBongWayTooLongName has it right.

If you're uncertain, try typing "file some-file", and it will try to tell you what kind of file it is.

 

[EmperorRob]

You may also try opening these files thru Nautilus (Gnome's file browser) or Konqueror(KDE's file browser) to see if they have default apps already associated with them. But like Sunner said, gz are gzipped files, use gunzip to open them. tar are tar files use tar to open them.