Installing software on debian/knoppix

[Donald Darden]

This is pretty detailed quote on the subject which can be found at the following link:
http://forums.megagames.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-41106.html

I don't think you understand the concept of Linux yet.

Once again, Linux is a kernel, and therefore the only thing that every Linux system has in common is that they are both based off of an application by Linus Torvalds. There have been so many modifications to the kernel over the years, by so many different people, that it is impossible to make everything work for everybody. This is why there are multiple builds of the same software for different distributions - because each distro has something different to offer. Some binary packages need to install dependencies, or work with different code than the next build, so it is important to make sure that you know that you can't install a Debian build on a Knoppix system. Yes, they are similar, but certainly not the same.

Secondly, errors are important. Don't go back to your Windows roots -- if you are getting an error, it is FIXABLE, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON'T IGNORE IT! Read the error and actually catch what it says. If it says it is missing a certain library, then google search for the library and then find out what the package is called. apt-get/emerge/whatever that package, and you're in business. Error messages were designed for your help - not for God-knows-what, which is the case in Windows.

Finally, understand how programs are run. As I stated above, Linux is only a kernel. There is no one system that is used within a Linux setup that allows people to run programs "through an icon". This is because Linux, again, is only a kernel. BASH, the terminal, is probably the next step in the equation, and this is the interface for the text-based system. THIS is where binary programs are run. X Windows only displays programs in a graphical interface, which may mean that it is run through a QT design interface, GTK, or even a virtual terminal interface. Don't think that software is run by icons! X-Windows is only there for user-friendly purposes. If no icon shows up, that DOES NOT mean it isn't installed! Go into xterm and run it there. Find the application binary file under /usr/bin and then run it from the terminal. Don't go back to your Windows habits, because that "knowledge" will not work on a Linux system.

Hope this helps you understand some things better.

Oh yeah, and don't hesitate with Gentoo. The install is more complex than most, but it is not impossible. And, as I have said countless times (give my Linux guide in this section a read), the Gentoo installation will teach you as much as you'll ever really need to know about Linux. If you can type what the manual tells you to, then you can install Gentoo. The manual is the most impressive document in Linux history, and it does not assume ANYTHING. It is not only a very seamless install where very little can go wrong (much less can go wrong on this install than compared to, say, a Red Hat install). The Gentoo install is almost completely source-built, so there are almost NO complex errors or confliction problems. I guarantee that the Gentoo install will be the best decision you will ever make for your PC. Give it a chance and talk to the forums... or irc.freenode.net at #gentoo ... the community is the best and they will help you better than anybody here can.