[clug] Linux challenges

[David Tulloh]

Wesley Bruce wrote:
> I'm a microsoft refugee interested in FOSS but not a programmer. 
> I'm new to linux and am finding that it ain't as easy as Microsoft.
> Generally I'm running into problems with software that assumes a lot
> about the users level of information linux/Unix. The Jargon's atrocious
> and unintelligible and not in the glossaries or the help pages. They
> always start and step B or C Assuming you know where to put code. That's
> got to be A. For those of us that are used to microsoft's automatic
> installation it unbelievably frustrating.    
>
> Where do you get a basic out line of what "Make" means ...
>   
Other people have already mentioned that you shouldn't be getting these 
sort of problems. I suspect the problem you have is your approach to 
installing new programs.

With Windows you go to the website of the piece of software you want to 
install, download it, run the installer etc.

With Linux you go to your package manager software, like Synaptic and 
install it from there. You do this for ALL your software. The biggest 
mistake you can make when you are new to Linux is to go outside your 
package manager and install things manually. Debian has over 25113 
packages, other distributions have similar numbers. What you need should 
already be packaged for you.

It is possible to install things manually but it's an advanced operation 
and even then you work with the package management system as much as you 
can. This is why all the instructions you are seeing are written for 
programmers. The only people who should be installing software libraries 
like Atlas C++ are software developers working on or with the library. 
You shouldn't ever need to install it manually and they don't want to 
encourage you to do so.


David