Application

[w5uc]

Dear Friends:
Please be patient with me on this as I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to do anything with Linux except browse the web and look at the files already on my computer and my network. I am very frustrated with this.

I have an application called Linrad which I downloaded through Windows on another machine, and then moved into this machine. I have the following files:
linrad-01-01.i586.rpm
linrad.deb
lir01-33.tar
These files are all in the Home/w5uc/tmp folder.
The original file that I downloaded was a .tbz file. Somehow over a period of about a week I managed to get the other three files out of the original, but I'm not sure how I did it. I may have downloaded one of these files from another location, but I'm not sure of anything anymore.
Very simply, I want to run this application, and have worked my fat old fanny off attempting to do so. Can someone please tell me how to run this application? If it can be done, I want to put an Icon on the desktop that I can click and run this application.

The OS is Knoppix 3.7, full install.

Thanks,
Mike

[Harry Kuhman]

Mike,

I have no experience with installing Linux apps, so I'm not going to be able to provide any answers there.

I'm not clear on what Linrad will need since it seems to use different drivers for different sound cards, but you might ask Probono in the Klik forum if he can make a kilkable version. If he can make a klik package that deals with the driver issue, feel free to tell him there are at least two people who would like to play with a klikable version of the program.

[fingers99]

OK, we should start with Linrad.deb.

The .deb means it was packaged for Debian (of which Knoppix is a variety). Just put it somewhere -- your user directory is fine.

Next, right click on it, Open With and type KPackage. You'll be asked for the root password. Just tell it you want it to install.

Alternatively, snap open a Konsole (the little TV icon at bottom left), type:

su
(prompt for root password)
dpkg -i (name of package.deb)

if you're very lucky, all the dependencies will have been met. If not, you'll have to satisfy them first. Fear not, KPackage or dpkg will list any missing dependencies. Just (su to root again) do:

apt-get update && apt-get install (package1 package2 package3 and so on)

of course, you won't put the brackets. ;-) and you need to be connected to the internet. Just copy and paste the dependencies exactly as dpkg calls them.

When all that's done (generally it's the apt-get update that takes the time: Knoppix comes with an overly long sources.list) you can run dpkg again on Linrad.

Of course, all this supposes you have a HD install: if not, you must use Klik.

[w5uc]

Harry Thanks:

I will go off and investigate that. I don't want to alienate the hard core Linux folks, but at this point, I really don't have an interest in becoming a Linux expert.
I tried 3 other distributions, and concluded that Knoppix was by far the most complete and user friendly distro, AND, it was the only one that recognized my old ISA sound card. My primary goal is to get Linrad rrunning so I can try to get rid of some of this line noise on 2 meters.

Many Thanks,
Mike

[w5uc]

fingers99, thanks a bunch. I will go try than in a bit. I need to stop to do a Honey-do. My wife is on a gardening project and I got drafted to help break up the soil. BRB

[Harry Kuhman]

I will go off and investigate that.
I would also suggest folowing the instructions that fingers99 posted. I could well be that because of the need for this program to interface at a driver level it will not be a simple klikable application. Please post back whatever you end up doing. I'm too busy with other projects at the moment to try getting this working too, but when I get time I would like to try working with this.

[w5uc]

Ok, my dirt digging chore is completed. I forgot to mention, I do have a HDD install. Dual booting with Win ME on a 20 gig HDD. I'm off to try it. Report to follow.

[w5uc]

Ok,first hurdle. I put it in a directory that I created under home called Download. When I tried to use KPacksge it said Can not find the program KPackage

[w5uc]

I found a directory called usr but not user. It wouldn't let me put it in usr

[w5uc]

Well, I did something. Rather than type in KPackac\ge, i browsed fior it, and that worked. I finally got to the install part and it did a buncha stuff and then said:
setting up linrad(01-02)...
RESULT=0

And is now doing nothing...

[w5uc]

Here is everything it said after I clicked on install:

dpkg -i '//home/w5uc/tmp/linrad.deb' ;echo RESULT=$?
Selecting previously deselected package linrad.
(Reading database ... 109777 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linrad (from //home/w5uc/tmp/linrad.deb) ...
Setting up linrad (01-2) ...
RESULT=0

[fingers99]

What's the output of

dpkg -s linrad

(if no result, try

dpkg -s linrad.deb)


?

Did you really type: dpkg -i '//home/w5uc/tmp/linrad.deb' ;echo RESULT=$?

All that's necessary is to copy the damn thing to your own directory and do what I said! Or is this the output from dpkg as filtered by KPackage?

What happens if you type

linrad

in a konsole?

[w5uc]

Nope, I didn't type that. I never got that far.

I didn't have to do the root password or anyhing.
I got a window with Linrad at the bottom of a tree. I highlighted Linrad, and clicked on Install at the bottom, and away we went. It thought a bit and spit out all of that stuff. I'll go ry the new stuff.

[w5uc]

dpkg -s linrad yields:

w5uc@SHOP:~$ dpkg -s linrad
Package: linrad
Status: install ok installed
Priority: extra
Section: alien
Installed-Size: 2284
Maintainer: root <root@SHOP>
Architecture: i386
Version: 01-2
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-4), libsvga1
Description: A SDR (software defined radio) being devoped by SM5BSZ
A SDR intended primarily for experimenting radio amateurs, but very adaptablefor almost any purpose. Wideband design (up to ~90 kHz with current availiblehardware) allows effective noiseblankers to be configured.
.
(Converted from a rpm package by alien version 8.48.)

[w5uc]

dpkg -s linrad.deb yields:


w5uc@SHOP:~$ dpkg -s linrad.deb
Package `linrad.deb' is not installed and no info is available.

Use dpkg --info (= dpkg-deb --info) to examine archive files,
and dpkg --contents (= dpkg-deb --contents) to list their contents.
w5uc@SHOP:~$

[w5uc]

linrad yields:

w5uc@SHOP:~$ linrad
bash: linrad: command not found
w5uc@SHOP:~$

[w5uc]

if I go to the konsole and type:
dpkg -1 linrad.deb it yields:

w5uc@SHOP:~$ dpkg -1 linrad.deb
dpkg: unknown option -1

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages ;
Use dselect for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Type dpkg --licence for copyright licence and lack of warranty (GNU GPL) .

Options marked produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' !
w5uc@SHOP:~$

[w5uc]

Two bits of info. I don't have the foggiest notion how I extracted those .deb files, and I say those because originally linrad.deb has another name. I tried something and it said I couldn't do that and to rename the file, so I did. Do we possibly need to go back to the un-renamed file and try?

[w5uc]

Nope, that didn't work. Same output as with linrad.deb

[fingers99]

Do we possibly need to go back to the un-renamed file and try? Yes. But first, you're reading

dpkg -i linrad.deb

as

dpkg -1 linrad.deb

i is for "install" ;-)

[w5uc]

Yuck Yuck... getting old & blind...

[w5uc]

w5uc@SHOP:~$ dpkg -i linrad.deb
dpkg: requested operation requires superuser privilege
w5uc@SHOP:~$

I'm dang sure not one of those.. Ha Ha

[w5uc]

It looks like something, not bad happened here;

root@SHOP:/home/w5uc# dpkg -i linrad.deb
dpkg: error processing linrad.deb (--install):
cannot access archive: No such file or directory
Errors were encountered while processing:
linrad.deb
root@SHOP:/home/w5uc# cd..
bash: cd..: command not found
root@SHOP:/home/w5uc# cd
root@SHOP:~# cd /home/w5uc/tmp
root@SHOP:/home/w5uc/tmp# dpkg -i linrad.deb
(Reading database ... 109877 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linrad 01-2 (using linrad.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linrad ...
Setting up linrad (01-2) ...
root@SHOP:/home/w5uc/tmp#

It appears that it may be installed, so how do i run it?

[fingers99]

Yes, looks like it's there.

First, try

linrad

Which may or may not work. If it doesn't work as yourself, try it as root (this isn't a good thing to do routinely, but may be necessary: it looks like the .deb was converted using alien which can do strange things to permissions).

If neither work, or generate useful error messages, try this:

su
(small s!)
(you'll be asked to enter root password -- do so)
updatedb (go and make a cup of coffee)

then

whereis linrad

(it should splurge out a list of things called linrad --- you see, it could be that it hasn't installed it anywhere sensible -- could be in your /tmp or /home directory) by trial and error (and by giving the full path, say /home/w5uc/tmp/linrad/linrad or by cding to where it is and doing ./linrad -- which, essentially, says to bash "don't bother looking in path, execute the damn thing in the present working directory") you might be able to get it going.

If you want to look for it graphically, then executables in Kde have icons which resemble gear teeth, while scripts have icons which look like TV screens. It could be either, but I'd guess it's a gear wheel.

Usually there's a man page which may be of help:

man linrad

should bring it up.

[w5uc]

fingers99, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your patience and effort. You have done more in this short time than numerous have in the past. Mama has me cooking some old dead cow right now, but I will do a search shortly.

Many thanks
Mike

[w5uc]

Well, after a great deal of hope it looks like we have struck out. I have searched and can not find it. I will continue the search. I did find a wheel named linrad, but it apparently contains nothing and will not launch the oprogram.

[w5uc]

No, it is an executable containing 490.9 KB od data but it will not launch the program. I click on it, and it blinks at me, but does nothing. I can immediately click on it again with the same result.

[w5uc]

If I try to launch it in the window I get:

w5uc@SHOP:/home/linrad$ linrad
svgalib: Cannot get I/O permissions.
w5uc@SHOP:/home/linrad$

[fingers99]

Don't give up yet. I'm not sure what this means: I think that linrad itself is fine, but taht there's some issue with the permissions on either svgalib or whatever it connects to (I know nothing about radio!).

I'd try the mailing list: you've come a long way, so it's worth persevering:

send an email to:

linrad@antennspecialisten.se

with the subject

subscribe

and you should get an email back telling you that you've subscibed successfully. Read a few of the emails and then post away!

Good luck with this one -- it's a very tricky thing for a newbie to start with, but should be worthwhile in the end.

[w5uc]

Thanks fingers99. Yes, I think I have learned a lot with your generous help. I will get into that group and see what happens.

Regards,
Mike