When I download precompiled binaries from websites, how do I install them into my file system so that they can be used like my default applications?
you can define local folders to be treated as repositories, just go to yast -> repository management and select the folder where you keep downloaded files.
or you can install them with zypper
zypper in <full_path_to_local_rpm>
there is a kde application that can install rpm files so just click on an rpm and install it.
Does this method work with archives, including zip files?
No, it works with rpm files which are archives, you can put all your rpm’s in a folder add that folder as a repo then use yast or zypper to install them.
What are these rpm’s, well skype, google-chrome and other 3rd party software.
zip’s can contain whatever but opensuse uses rpm’s for installing and removing applications.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_Package_Manager
if those zip’s have a valid spec file (you can write one if yourself)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_Package_Manager#SPEC_file
you can make rpm’s out of them, or you can use check-install to make rpm’s out of tar balls and copy those rpm’s in your local folder that holds applications.
Without further clarification about what that binary is supposed to be compiled for (distribution, version), that is difficult to say. Must be decided for each case.
It is very uncommon to have a precompiled binary for Linux. Software (specialy when to be used for the system, contrary to a program to be used by a single user and put into one of his/her own directories like ~/bin) that does not come as RPM through the openSUSE standard repos, nor through any repos from the Open Build Service, may come
- prebuild RPM for openSUSE version X from a web site (but that is then explicitly mentioned);
- as a tarball (complete source ready to be build in a compressed tar file).
In the latter case there is (often) a general path to be followed to build it (explained in a README file) and this contains three steps where in the first step the system is scanned and many configuration parameters are filled in for the next step which is the real build (the third step, to be done as root, is then the install).
Thus when you have a pre-build binary, those first two steps are done. But how can you be sure that the first, configure, step is done properly when not on your, but on some other system?
But, if the binary is functioning on your system (and you trust it for security reasons), the general case is then to put it in /usr/local/bin. This being a sort of hold all for binaries that do not realy belong to (or are designed for) the distribution.
On 2015-09-01 04:56, Catlyon wrote:
>
> When I download precompiled binaries from websites, how do I install
> them into my file system so that they can be used like my default
> applications?
The general answer is that you have to read that binary documentation.
Or ask here about the specific binary.
But first you have to make sure that no rpm exists for openSUSE, and
alternatively, no rpm at all.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” (Minas Tirith))
It’s a “Linux” Binary, and while it can be used right out the box (it’s a folder with an executable and all the binaries needed), there’s no readme for installation. This is why I was wondering how to best install it.
I suppose the problem is that I cannot move the file to /usr/local/bin, even as root.
That is not a good description of what you experience. Saying that you “cannot move it” make me think all sorts of things, starting with “are your fingers broken?” 
You should tell (and bette show) what you are doing and how. There are miriad ways of moving files from one directory to another.
Please show facts, like the ls -l of the directory it is now and the mv statement you use, or any other info. Saying that you “cannot move it” make me think all sorts of things, starting with “are your fingers broken”.
On 2015-09-09 15:16, Catlyon wrote:
> It’s a “Linux” Binary, and while it can be used right out the box (it’s
> a folder with an executable and all the binaries needed), there’s no
> readme for installation. This is why I was wondering how to best install
> it.
Well, there are many definitions of “Linux binary”, and there are many
possibilities on how the archive is made.
Perhaps if you point us to the exact “binary from the web” that you are
talking about, we could stop guessing and have facts
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” (Minas Tirith))
The problem seems to be permission related. I only got an error in the terminal. When doing it graphically, it seems to just abort with no report, which is why I don’t have much information. I got a permission error in terminal when using “man mv.”[FONT=arial][/FONT]
By definition, “binaries” are executable program files and do not include packages (like rpm, deb, etc).
You’ll need to define “like my default applications”
Typically in Linux, you can execute/run binaries in any location, but you will probably want to use some organization to keep track where these files are located.
On Linux, you typically launch an executable in a console with
*path*/binary
If you’d like to avoid having to type in the path every time, you only need to add the path to your system path or copy the file to a location already in the system path. After that, the system will automatically find your executable so you only need to type the executable name.
If you copy or move your executable to a location not in your /home partition, you will need root permissions to move or copy and later you will also likely need root permissions to execute.
Up until now the characteristics for launching from a console have been described.
After you have verified your executable can be launched, you can also add a Desktop menu item, each Desktop has its own tool or procedure for doing this.
HTH,
TSU
Of course!
Well, show it! Copy/paste what you do and get back from your terminal window into a post here (between CODE tags, it is the # button in the tool; bar of he post editor).
How do you think we can give any help when you only say “only got error”? We are NOT clairvoyant.
I’ll also mention that if my fingers were broken I wouldn’t be posting in the forums.
What I meant by “I only got an error in terminal.” Was that extracting the .zip file in /usr/local/bin didn’t give an error report. Still, I’ll show the code.
su -
man mv [file] [destination]
This results in the following error
can't chdir to /root/usr/local: Permission denied
The following commands seem to do nothing even though they seem to be recognized by the terminal program.
bind ~/usr/local/bin
chroot_local_user=YES
This is all very confusing. Is this a script that comes with the product? Then please post the whole script and not some random lines.
If this is all invented by you, then please post COMPLETE. That is we want to see the terminal prompt, the command, everthing that comes out up to and including the next prompt. Consider us to be dumb people. We onlly believe what you show what the computer did. We do not believe your storytelling.
And show us also (it was asked earlier) the contents of what you downloaded, with an
ls -l
And please take this serious (when you want help). We are all doing this in our spare time and need your cooperation. Else people might stop posting here and go elsewhere.
Why “man mv”?
Use just “mv”.
This results in the following error
can't chdir to /root/usr/local: Permission denied
It wants to access /root/usr/local, which probably doesn’t exist. You probably missed the leading ‘/’.
Try this:
sudo mv xxx /usr/local/bin/
or
su -
mv xxx /usr/local/bin/
Or just copy it to your user’s ~/bin/, you don’t need root permissions then, but only this one user can run it of course:
mv xxx ~/bin
The following commands seem to do nothing even though they seem to be recognized by the terminal program.
bind ~/usr/local/bin chroot_local_user=YES
What do you want to achieve with that?
bind is for setting/displaying keyboard bindings in the current shell, the other command sets an environment variable.
Also, there probably is no usr/local/bin in your home directory either (~/usr/local/bin).
I’m sorry, those were just things that I pulled off of the internet. Anyway, using “sudo mv” worked, but doesn’t seem to have given the results I wanted. I want to install the files in a way that will allow the application to be appear and be accessed in the start menu.
Ok just add it to the menu. most generic code not made for openSUSE explicitly and not having some form of installation does not auto get added to the menu you must manually do that right click the menu button and select the appropriate item.
Since again you are being secretive for some reason and did not mention which of the many possible Desktops you are using I can’t be more specific
Simply putting a program in a system location does not add it to the menu.
And I must admit I’m having a hard time understanding why you will not tell us what program and where you got it. It is possible it may be available in the openSUSE repos.
We have a saying: “Locked as an oyster”. I am in an case tired of pulling.