Program Files in Raspbarian

[Taxicletter]

Hi,
I just received my first Pi and I'm happy . I'm using it as desktop computer to start. I'm used to MacOS.

I'm installing some programs, and since I didn't find Processing in the installation screen, I downloaded it from their website. What would be the correct folder to keep this Processing program in?

Second question about Programs: most programs I install (like Gimp) come in the menu. I installed some IRC clients, but they don't appear there. Where should I look for them?

Greetings,

Jonathan

[fruitoftheloom]

Hi,
I just received my first Pi and I'm happy . I'm using it as desktop computer to start. I'm used to MacOS.

I'm installing some programs, and since I didn't find Processing in the installation screen, I downloaded it from their website. What would be the correct folder to keep this Processing program in?

Second question about Programs: most programs I install (like Gimp) come in the menu. I installed some IRC clients, but they don't appear there. Where should I look for them?

Greetings,

Jonathan

The menu list can be changed:

Menu - Preferences - Main Menu Editor

[Taxicletter]

Thank you.

Somehow, the IRC programs just don't install. I get no error message, but I can't find them. I tried Pidgin and Kopete (and some of which I forgot the name). I restarted, for you never know. The "search" doesn't search very good. I tried to install Dropbox and that file is in my Downloads, but if I search for it, the file isn't found.

Where is a good place to keep downloaded programs? I don't want to keep them in "Downloads", but there's no "Program" Folder.

[GTR2Fan]

Apologies if I'm wrong, but it sounds as though you're treating a Linux computer like a Windows computer and just going off to various websites and downloading things that probably won't even run on a Pi.

Nearly everything you ever need for Raspbian is available via the Raspbian repository by going to Menu - Preferences - Add / Remove Software and typing what you're looking for into the search box.

There are exceptions to the repository rule where you may need to go somewhere else to find something, but whatever it is, it must be a version specifically written to run on the Pi.

Once again, apologies if I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It happens.

[JimmyN]

There is no "programs" folder as executables could be in a number of places. If you want a "programs" folder just create one and add it to your path.

You can use the "which" command to find out where the executable is located.

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which pidgin
which kopete

Note that using "Pidgin" or "Kopete" won't work, it's not Windows and uppercase/lowercase matter. "Pidgin" is not the same file name as "pidgin". In fact you can have two completely different files, one named "Pidgin" and one named "pidgin", since that's only the same file name in Microsoft's world.

If you want to find anything, anywhere in the filesystem, then install "mlocate"

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sudo apt-get install mlocate

After it's installed run

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sudo updatedb

That will go through the filesystem and create the database. Then you can use

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locate pidgin

and it will find every instance of that file name. You'll need to run updatedb again after installing something new, or add it to crontab so it runs every day to keep the database current.

[Taxicletter]

Thanks!

I know most of the software can be found and installed through Menu > Preferences > Add/Remove software. But I didn't find Dropbox there, so I downloaded the Debian version from their site. After installation didn't succeed, I tried the command-line described there as well. That didn't work either.

The same for Processing. Not in the list, but I could download it from their website. I choose the Linux ARM 32bit version, and that works. When I try to add it as a menu item, "OK" stays greyed out. It's not a big problem though.

BTW: I never use Windows. I'm quite familiar with MacOS (as an advanced user, not a programmer) and a novice user of Ubuntu.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Taxicletter]

So you where at the wrong end of the stick GTR2Fan
And JimmyN, I did use your tips!

[GTR2Fan]

So you where at the wrong end of the stick GTR2Fan

Not again dagnamit! Welcome aboard.

[JimmyN]

Good job, it gets easier as you progress along.... sorta.

If you want to add anything to the menu that didn't get added in there automatically, you can probably add it with the menu editor. If not, or if you want to make it a desktop shortcut, you can create a .desktop file.

[GTR2Fan]

Good job, it gets easier as you progress along.... sorta.

So true! I remember being very standoffish with my first Pi due to having spent the previous 15+ years never having had any version of Linux actually run properly on anything. This mystified my older brother who's a die-hard Linux fan and can get Linux to run perfectly on pretty much anything, but never any distro on any PC I've ever owned.

Long live the Pi with its own dedicated Linux OS that very seldom refuses to play ball!