Installing/Updating Software
From ArkWiki
Installing applications in Ark is easy once you know where to look. That's what this part of the walkthrough is for.
Contents |
[edit] Can I Still Use My Windows or Macintosh Programs?
Yes and no. Linux is its own operating system and so works a bit differently from Windows and Macintosh. All three have their own unique way of running programs and are largely not compatible.
However, if you are a Windows user, ArkLinux comes with WINE. WINE is a program that "translates" Windows commands to Linux commands, and thus can sometimes trick Windows programs into working just fine on Linux. It is not perfect, however, therefore it cannot be guaranteed that all of your programs will work flawlessly. From personal experience, there's a good chance business software will work, but games (particularly games with advanced 3D graphics) still have very limited support, though many common ones do work well. You can check the WINE program database to get an idea of if your software will work with WINE or not: Wine-SoftwareDB. You may also check our own How to get Windows applications to run guide or Frank's Corner for a large database of programs that may work with a bit of tweaking.
As for running Macintosh programs, you can try them, but we have yet to find a program to allow Mac compatibility in Linux (if you find one though, please request it to be added to ArkLinux in the Package Request Forum).
Please note though that if your Windows/Macintosh software will not work, its entirely possible that there is a Linux equivalent that you can use, and may even enjoy better than what you were using! For a list of software replacements for ArkLinux, see the Finding Applications That You Need part of this guide.
[edit] Installing ArkLinux Software
[edit] Software Packages (RPM Files)
What does it mean to install something? Basically, it means to take it and copy it onto your computer so that you can use it from your own computer. But many times programs require many different files to run properly, and so you may find yourself wondering how you know what to install -- in particular, is there and equivalent to a Windows Installer or the Mac image files?
The answer is yes. ArkLinux uses a system called RPM to create a single file (usually called a Package, or an RPM file because the filename ends in .rpm) that contains what your program needs to run, and installs it for you. Once you tell it to install itself, it's done, you can immediately start using it once it has finished the process. Generally you do not need to restart your computer first. RPMs specifically designed for Ark Linux are in the Software Repos(itory).
[edit] The Software "Repos"
ArkLinux has a huge archive of software available for you to download and install whenever you wish. This archive is usually called the repository (or repos). When you want to install a program, you request it from the repos, and ArkLinux will download it and install it for you. And that's it!
So how do you get this software to install it? There are a few ways.
[edit] Kynaptic Package Installer
In Ark, installations are usually done with Kynaptic, a small program that you can launch and use to browse the lists of programs and available, and install them with just a few clicks.
First, we need to launch Kynaptic. Kynaptic will make an anonymous download of a list of installable packages (that is, applications that are "packaged" into installer files), then display this list to you. Once you have selected what you want to install, it will download what you selected from the software repositories-that is, the online place where installable software for Ark is-and install what you want it to.
To launch Kynaptic, first go into Mission Control by clicking the Kmenu and selecting Mission Control. Next, select Install Software:
Next we will see the Kynaptic screen. It will ask us to update the list of available software. This should only take a minute, and when complete, Kyanptic will load this list (twice, for some reason, whenever you download it) so you can select what you want to install. After it is done, you will have Kynaptic fully loaded and ready to install software:
If you click on one of the categories on the left, it will display programs in that category on the right. Pointing at a program in the right will give you it's description.
To search for a specific program, hold down CTRL on your keyboard and press F. This will give you the Find dialog. To install some extra games designed specifically for KDE (KDE being the graphical interface you're using in Ark), type in kdegames (you will not have to press enter). Notice how the list below the text box updates itself as you type. Now right click on the kdegames item and click Install. Notice how it comes up with a dialog box with a list of other programs it wants to install:
It will ask you to install a list of dependencies (or deps) -- that is, things that an application needs to run properly. Click Continue to confirm, and click the X on the Find window, then click the Install button:
It will ask you to confirm that you want to install the software. Look through the list (click the plus signs (+) next to the categories to view them), then click Continue. It will proceed to download and install the applications you chose.
Another important task to perform is upgrading your Ark installation. Sometimes things get updated on the software repositories, and you will need to upgrade these things. Particularly, the latest system files-the files that are critical to Ark's well being-will need to be updated. Upgrading is also known as Updating. To do so, click the middle button in Kynaptic (the button to the left of the Install button we clicked earlier to install kdegames). It will display a list of upgradable software. If you want, you can read through this list. Click Continue. Click the Install button, and click Continue again. It will, once again, start downloading installable packages, and will proceed to install them.
[edit] Note On Upgrading From 2007.1 And Before
Some packages (including a package known as Qt - a programming library for designing graphical user interfaces) will have trouble upgrading. Please see our Upgrading to 2008.1 Without A CD page for details.
[edit] apt-get (more advanced command-line package installer)
Another way to install software is through the command prompt. To reach it, close Kynaptic (if it is still running) and click Command Prompt in Mission Control:
To update the list of installable software (what we had Kynaptic do when we first launched it), type apt-get update and press Enter. It will display a list of text giving you the progress of downloading the list files. To install another game (one that wasn't installed but is still available in the repositories), type apt-get install boson and press Enter. It will once again download and install a game. To perform an upgrade, type apt-get dist-upgrade and press Enter to upgrade everything on your system.
[edit] Individual Programs (RPMs)
Rarely, you may need a program that is not included in the ArkLinux repos. In this case, you may be able to download the RPM file from the software maker, and click on it. A small tool called RPMHandler will open and ask you if you want to install just this software; click yes and it will be done! Very simple.
A warning about this method though: unless an RPM is designed for Ark, or unless you are told it's OK by support staff in the Forums or Live Support (explained in the Finding Help section), you should not install an RPM file onto your computer. Installing the wrong RPM can easily damage your system, so be very careful.
Because of this, it is highly recommended to only get software through the ArkLinux repos, either by using Kynaptic or the apt-get utility.
| Previous | Table Of Contents | Next |
