Other Help Topics :: n00b tar question



I've downloaded 3 tar.gz files.  I downloaded a tar.gz file from the dsl repiratory (cdparanoia) and I'm wondering where the files go when I untar them.  I've been a Windows user for about 10 years and recently have gotten very interested in Linux, especially DSL.  I know that a tar file is very similar to a zip file in Windows.  I'm wanting to know if it creates it's own folder, or if it's put in an already existing folder.  Either way I need to know where the untarred files would be located.  Thank you.
--WC
well, two things here..
the stuff you download from the myDSL repository are DSL's meant to be used with the myDSL control panel on the desktop, or with the mydsl cli program to install programs...
the other,

a tar file (in this respect) is essentially just an archive that basically puts a lot of files into one for easy portability (until you compress it, .tar.gz or .tgz) and this compresses it, in essence like zip...
during untarring if you run tar with the -v command (ie. tar -zxvf file.tar.gz) it will show you where everything goes. -v is verbose.

if you're untarring an uncompresses tar file do not use -z, just use -xvf (x=extract v=verbose f=use this file)

basically, a tar file will do whatever you tell it to, or whatever the original packager intended for it. you can try tar --help for more detailed tar options, or i guess ask here.
I tried this and this is what i got:
dsl@box:~$ tar -zxvf zc193a4l.tgz.gz
tar(child):zc193a4l.tgz.gz: Can not open; no such file or directory
tar(child):Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar:child returned status 2
tar:Error exit is delayed from previous errors

O.o?  Like I said, I'm a n00b.  I tried this w/out putting the file on my hard drive off of the usb stick.  I got this error, so I copied the file into /opt and tried again.  I got the same error.  This is really bothering me that something that should be so simple is so difficult to me.

Edit:
Okay, I realize now that it's a tgz.gz.  What is this?  And is there a way to use this in DSL?  If so, how to I use it?  I'm suppose to be beta testing this in Linux, but I can't get it to work in Linux and I've got to report back in saying I've got it loaded tomorrow before 8.  Help please?
wildacrd, try

mydsl-load somename.tar.gz

or

mydsl-load somename.dsl

from the command line (a bash shell, in other words) or open up emelfm, navigate to your file, select it (one click only) and then hit the MyDSL button to load the extension.
Okay, I've tried that claker, and it doesn't work.  The screen gives a sudden blink like a file was loaded, but nothing is there.
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