Hi, I've just installed Linux and am determined to get to grips with it. I managed to create a folder and extract the BOINC client into it. It created a couple of .xml files and a lock file, but no executable.

I took the BOINC website advice and tried running it with the 'client website ID number' bit but the only way I could see to do this was from a terminal window. I typed in the name of the executable followed by the website address bit followed by my ID number and hit enter. All it did was say that it couldn't run it?? I also tried copying and pasting an example command in (but with my ID number) and said exactly the same thing.

What daft newbie thing have I or am I doing wrong?

---

All it did was say that it couldn't run it

Quite right too. Can't let any old virus run when it wants to! This isn't MS Windows ya know!! :)

More seriously:

From the terminal command line, "cd" to where you extracted boinc. In the boinc directory, use the command:
chmod +x boinc_*

This makes the file 'executable'.

Then run it with "./boinc_WHATEVER_ITS_CALLED"

Look around, there's a few example scripts for running boinc as a background service.

Welcome to linux. It quickly gets easier as you learn a few commands.

Good luck,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

All it did was say that it couldn't run it

Quite right too. Can't let any old virus run when it wants to! This isn't MS Windows ya know!! :)

More seriously:

From the terminal command line, "cd" to where you extracted boinc. In the boinc directory, use the command:
chmod +x boinc_*

This makes the file 'executable'.

Then run it with "./boinc_WHATEVER_ITS_CALLED"

Look around, there's a few example scripts for running boinc as a background service.

Welcome to linux. It quickly gets easier as you learn a few commands.

Good luck,
Martin

---

Cheers Martin, After a few hours searching Google, I found out it was the ./ thing I was missing and managed to get it running.

What exactly is the ./ thing, anyway? Could you explain it? I work in IT so am determined to crack Linux this time round (I tried it a few years ago but didn't get very far - lol).

Do you know of any good 'noob' books or websites that will help me learn?

Many TIA!

---

...I found out it was the ./ thing I was missing and managed to get it running.

Good stuff. (I'm sure I included "./" in the instructions :)

What exactly is the ./ thing, anyway?

It is part of one of the many security features on *nix, if enabled, that avoids unwittingly running malware.

A secure *nix system excludes your current directory from the command search path. The character sequence "./" explicitly points to your current directory and overrides the normal search path. It means that a sneaky install can't put a rogue program called for example "ls" into a directory for you to unwittingly blunder into to execute... (Also, you can secure the normal "bin" directories against user abuse.)

Do you know of any good 'noob' books or websites that will help me learn?

news:alt.os.linux.mandrake

http://tldp.org/

http://www1.mandrivalinux.com/en-us/ and look up the documentation on the left panel.

There's also lots of documentation in /usr/share/doc.

And then there's also "#" and "##" in konqueror for the command line "man" and "info". Eg, try "man man" on the command line, and #man on the konqueror address line.

Good luck,
Martin

----------   OS? What's that?!               (Martin_285 on Mandriva)
- Martin -   To most people, "Operating System" is unknown & strange.
- 53N 1W -   Mandriva 10LE GNU Linux - An OS for Supercomputers & PCs
----------   http://www1.mandrivalinux.com/en/concept.php3 

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)