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Where to install apps in Fedora
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:31 pm
by RobertGonzalez
OK, so I am slowly learning my way through Linux. I have installed Fedora Core 4, set up PHP 5, MySQL 4.1, phpMyAdmin, a few browser plugins, etc. I even upgraded Firefox. So now...
Coming from a Windows environment for the last 12 years, I am used to the file system structure of Windows. I am SO NOT used to the file system on Linux. When I install an application, where is it supposed to go? What is the equivalent of the Windows "Program Files" folder on a Linux machine? Or is there even one? I mean, can I install an app to run from anywhere?
<break>I know I can install to anywhere in Windows also. I am more concerned with learning how to use LInux for everyday use instead of when I need to learn to set up a server.</break>
On a side note, does anyone know how to tell Firefox to use your Home folder instead of the desktop in Fedora 4? I am so lost on this whole file system thing. Thanks in advance for all your help.
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:58 pm
by josh
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:00 pm
by Benjamin
For firefox you can go to Edit->Prefrences and click on downloads.
As for the installs, that depends on purpose and security. If you want to install something system wide that can be accessed by anyone, I believe /usr/bin or /usr/share is where you want to place it. Another place in Fedora is the /opt/ folder which stands for optional I believe. If you don't have root access, you can always install programs into your /home/username/ directory.
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:27 pm
by RobertGonzalez
Thanks for the input. I am going to try to install Zend Studio tonight. Hopefully all goes well.
As for the Firefox issue, when I go to the options dialog box and try to choose my download location, it appears that I can only download to the desktop. It's like I can't choose my home folder. No biggie though. I will play around with it tonight and see what I can learn.
Thanks again for the input.
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:58 pm
by Benjamin
In my version of Firefox I can either select "Ask me where to save each file" or "Save all files to" and then it gives me the option to change the directory. I am running 1.0.7 on Fedora 4.
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:00 am
by RobertGonzalez
I have that too in FF 1.5.1, but when I try to set the download destination folder to my home folder it won't let me. It seems like I can only choose the desktop.
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:04 am
by Benjamin
Try selecting Other in the drop down box and then in the new window click on Filesystem on the left side, and then navigate to /home/username then click Open. It would be strange if that doesn't work.
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:07 am
by RobertGonzalez
OK, I'll try that right now.
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:16 am
by RobertGonzalez
No dice. I chose Filesystem from the menu on the left. Then I chose /home/. The only option in /home/ is my username, which I highlighted and when I hit enter, it defaulted to Desktop. I can't make it use /home/username/ as an option without it defaulting to /home/username/Desktop/.
This might be a Firefox issue and not so much an "I am a blubbering thumbs fool Linux newbie idiot" issue. Oh God, please let it be so.

Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:06 am
by Benjamin
It could be a security issue. There are multiple layers of filesystem security in Fedora and you might have ran into one of them. I would try the Firefox forum. The only other thing I could think of would be a permissions issue. Check the permissions of your folder or you could create a directory on your desktop to save the files in. The home directory gets pretty crowded after a while anyway.