Simple question

[ZakkWylde969]

This should be simple. I'm trying to install a shockwave plugin and I've already extracted it. how do I get it to run the installer from the directory? I cant seem to get that workin.

[confuted]

For reference, he's using Mandrake.

[ZakkWylde969]

yeah. i just can't figure out why I cant run any programs at all from the xterm.

[Perspective]

Originally posted by ZakkWylde969
yeah. i just can't figure out why I cant run any programs at all from the xterm.

using "./" ?

[ZakkWylde969]

Yeah. Like I would unpack the Shockwave files and I would go into that directory and i would try to run the install file by typing out the name and it wouldn't work. It's a little different that what I'm used to.

[confuted]

Did you type
./nameofinstallfile
?

Or just
nameofinstallfile
?

[ZakkWylde969]

just nameofinstallfile I guess I have to do ./ ?

[confuted]

Originally posted by ZakkWylde969
just nameofinstallfile I guess I have to do ./ ?

fo' sheezy

[Perspective]

think of "./" as the equivelent of a double click in windows. its how you run an executable under linux.

[PostCode]

Actually, I'd have to say it's more like DOS than Windows. If the directory is in your PATH then it'll execute, otherwise you'll have to use the ./ in front of the executable file name in a directory that is not within your PATH.

Very similar to the old DOS PATH within the autoexec.bat file.

[ZakkWylde969]

alrighty thanks.

[frenchfry164]

except for in DOS the current directory you are in is part of PATH as well, where as in *nix it isn't.