Lab 4
Installing a Package from a Compressed tar File
The student will install an application received as a compressed tar
file. The package name will be of one of the following forms:
- package_name.tar.gz
- package_name.tar.tgz
- package_name.tar.bz2
- package_name.tar.bz
- package_name.tar.tbz2
- and many more. These are what I will call the most
common.
The package_name includes the name of the package and its version
number or date of creation. This is an activity that can be
performed individually and in groups. The student account is to be
used to perform this lab. Record all of your work for reference.
This lab will be developing skills that will be assessed on
quizzes. Also, commanding these skills will make more complicated
tasks eaiser in the future.
Installing the Xephem application from
source code
We are going to install an Astronomy application from source code.
Let's start at the beginning of this task.
- Go to the Linux Documentation Project to find a link to Xephem in
the HOWTO for Astronomoy at www.tldp.org.
- Download the source code for the Xephem application.
- Uncompress and open the tarball in your student user account's
home directory.
- Use the tar zxvf package_name.tar.gz command to uncompress and
open the package.
- Explain what happened when the tar command was executed.
- Find the instructions for compiling and installing the Xephem
package.
- Document these steps below.
- How is the application started?
- Execute the xephem application to verify that is working properly.
Installing a suite of applications
This task requires the student to install a suite of applications.
You will encounter rpm packages and packages available as
compressed tarballs. Your job is to install the applications and
have your instructor verify that you've completed this task.
- Make notes of your work for reference because you'll be quizzed
on the use of the rpm and tar commands.