Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3996 mails)

[Andre Truter <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 2004-09-27 at 19:16 -0700, Ben wrote:
> I dont get why tar wont compile when all other things do, For instance
> i run Internet Explorer on SuSE + Word + Access + Outlook + Microsoft
> games like S.O.F + a heap of RPM's but tar files wont compile.
> If i dont have c/c++ things installed then how can i run all the software  
> i do?

Did you compile IE, Word, Access, etc?

When you install applications from a rpm or other binary format, you
don't need a compiler, as you don't compile anything, you are just
installing pre-compiled binaries.

> Forgive me if the answer is obvious!
> But i dont get why only tar files wont compile?
> 

Tar files are not supposed to compile.  Tar is an archive format and has
nothing to do with compiling stuff. (tar is short for Tape Archiver and
was designed to copy files to a tape device for backups, but you can
redirect it's output to a normal file on disk and it will then copy all
your files into one file)

Normally source code is distributed in a tar archive, because it is a
well-known format supported on all UNIX/Linux systems.  But you don't
compile the tar file, you extract the source code from the archive and
then compile the source code.

> Yours...Ben
> 
> PS
>    I caint find an option for C/C++ Compiler and Tools???

Exactly what version of SuSE are you using?
SuSE 9.1 Professional?
SuSE 9.1 Personal?


-- 
Andre Truter | Software Engineer | Registered Linux user #185282
ICQ #40935899 | AIM: trusoftzaf | http://www.trusoft.co.za

~ "Oh Bother!" said the Borg, "We assimilated the Pooh!" ~