Downloading with Ubuntu 11.10?

Linux Noob

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How do I use terminal to install a program I downloaded from the web? Or is there an easier way? (Without the Software Center)

You'd think after 11.10 versions of Ubuntu, it'd be a lot simpler.
 
Have you gone to the source of the software and seen if there are any installation instructions (check for Readme's in the package, too)?
 
Hi,

There is a lot of stuff that you can do from terminal, that said I will just work on your question first. If you have any questions afterwards i will be more than willing to help.

There are many ways to install things from terminal, I will show you the ways from easiest to hardest, in my opinion.

The first way is the way that install most all of my programs, I don't really use the graphical way because it doesn't show me what is needed to install a package, and if I am missing something it will tell me that too. When I go to install a program I type the following:

Code:
will@Ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install

Breaking down this line. The first part is sudo. Sudo stands for Super User Do. This is a user that can install packages, and you don't have to use root, which is far to dangerous for most users. Apt-get is a command line tool that handles packages. It is one way to access the backend of the apt utility. Lastly there is install. This is the argument that tells apt-get what to do.

Next there is the program that you want to install. The example I am going to use is ffmpeg. When you go to install a program or package with terminal that line looks like this:

Code:
will@Ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install ffmpeg
enter password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libavdevice52 libavfilter1
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  ffmpeg libavdevice52 libavfilter1
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 441kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,495kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

All of this text is pretty self explanatory, but for the sake of explanation. The line that reads "The following extra packages will be installed:" talks about what library packages need to be installed. Next is the new packages that will be installed. Then how much space will be used up installing them. Lastly you will get to choose if you want to continue.

Next you get a look at where the package information is being gathered from, and that the packages and libraries are being setup or installed.

Code:
Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net/lucid-bleed/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main libavdevice52 4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1 [80.5kB]
Get:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/lucid-bleed/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main libavfilter1 4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1 [83.4kB]
Get:3 http://ppa.launchpad.net/lucid-bleed/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main ffmpeg 4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1 [277kB]
Fetched 441kB in 1s (243kB/s) 
Selecting previously unselected package libavdevice52.
(Reading database ... 137955 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libavdevice52 (from .../libavdevice52_4%3a0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libavfilter1.
Unpacking libavfilter1 (from .../libavfilter1_4%3a0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package ffmpeg.
Unpacking ffmpeg (from .../ffmpeg_4%3a0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up libavdevice52 (4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1) ...
Setting up libavfilter1 (4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1) ...
Setting up ffmpeg (4:0.6.2-1ubuntu1.1~ppa1~lucid1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

I know that this was long and broken down but I hope it give you a good idea of what is happening when you go to install a package.
 
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