Where are newly installed packages downloaded

[trian]

Oh boy- can anyone help please - I've just installed 'motion' and 'synaptic' (packet manager) on Raspbian, but I can't find where they downloaded to. How do I find them and then get them to appear on the desktop?
Thanks
Trian

[joan]

The executables would normally go to /usr/bin.

The packages to /var/cache/apt/archives

The UNIX find command is called find (man find).

[trian]

The executables would normally go to /usr/bin.

The packages to /var/cache/apt/archives

The UNIX find command is called find (man find).

Thanks Joan, I tried the 'find' cmd but I must have been misusing it as it kept coming up a blank. Is there a way to put shortcuts for both packages on the desktop? Oh, and v. dumb question - is it the 'executable' files I try to put on the desktop?
Many thanks
Trian

[sdjf]

Joan was trying to tell you that to find out how to use the "find" command, you type:

man find

So, for example, to find your "motion" command, you would type:

find / -name "motion"

To find all files on your system that start with "motion", including the package itself,

find / -name "motion*"

[DBryant]

You might be also try using the dpkg command to determine details of the contents of any package.

For example (I've abbreviated to output):

Code: Select all

dpkg -c curl_7.19.7-1ubuntu1.5_i386.deb 
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/bin/
-rwxr-xr-x root/root    112328 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/bin/curl
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/doc/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/doc/curl/
-rw-r--r-- root/root      1733 2008-08-28 12:27 ./usr/share/doc/curl/README
-rw-r--r-- root/root     13220 2009-02-13 09:11 ./usr/share/doc/curl/MANUAL.gz
...
-rw-r--r-- root/root      3063 2005-05-14 00:00 ./usr/share/doc/curl/VERSIONS
-rw-r--r-- root/root      8111 2008-08-27 09:01 ./usr/share/doc/curl/TheArtOfHttpScripting.gz
-rw-r--r-- root/root      5201 2009-10-21 18:49 ./usr/share/doc/curl/KNOWN_BUGS.gz
...
-rw-r--r-- root/root     24795 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/man/man1/curl.1.gz

This command tells you exact names of files and their locations; after all there is no guarantee that the package motion installs a binary called motion. In this respect, when using find, as in previous post, you may want to use -iname (instead of -name) since this is case-insensitive (and will seek out Motion as well as motion).

Note that dpkg operates on the package cache, so if you've done any housekeeping, and removed the package post installation, then the command will fail to return the information. Other useful options are -I (information) and -c (content) but see the man page for all manner of usefulness. The installation GUIs like Synaptic provide access to these options if you're not command line oriented.

[trian]

You might be also try using the dpkg command to determine details of the contents of any package.

For example (I've abbreviated to output):

Code: Select all

dpkg -c curl_7.19.7-1ubuntu1.5_i386.deb 
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/bin/
-rwxr-xr-x root/root    112328 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/bin/curl
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/doc/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/doc/curl/
-rw-r--r-- root/root      1733 2008-08-28 12:27 ./usr/share/doc/curl/README
-rw-r--r-- root/root     13220 2009-02-13 09:11 ./usr/share/doc/curl/MANUAL.gz
...
-rw-r--r-- root/root      3063 2005-05-14 00:00 ./usr/share/doc/curl/VERSIONS
-rw-r--r-- root/root      8111 2008-08-27 09:01 ./usr/share/doc/curl/TheArtOfHttpScripting.gz
-rw-r--r-- root/root      5201 2009-10-21 18:49 ./usr/share/doc/curl/KNOWN_BUGS.gz
...
-rw-r--r-- root/root     24795 2013-12-06 13:37 ./usr/share/man/man1/curl.1.gz

This command tells you exact names of files and their locations; after all there is no guarantee that the package motion installs a binary called motion. In this respect, when using find, as in previous post, you may want to use -iname (instead of -name) since this is case-insensitive (and will seek out Motion as well as motion).

Note that dpkg operates on the package cache, so if you've done any housekeeping, and removed the package post installation, then the command will fail to return the information. Other useful options are -I (information) and -c (content) but see the man page for all manner of usefulness. The installation GUIs like Synaptic provide access to these options if you're not command line oriented.

I'm trying to get command line oriented, but seem to be sinkin' fast. I'm very, very beginner and just trying to get 'motion' to work with a webcam without taking a million pictures per minute 'for all eternity'. I'll try the dpkg cmd with those options and the -iname alternative and see where it gets me - sorry people, I'm in way above my head.
But trian hard!

[topguy]

Is there a way to put shortcuts for both packages on the desktop?
Oh, and v. dumb question - is it the 'executable' files I try to put on the desktop?

"Yes" and "not really".
Like you said its "shortcuts" that you want to put on the desktop, not the executable files themselves.

While "synaptic" is a GUI program and you will probably find it easily enough in the start-menu, "motion" is not a GUI program and usually requires you to start it from a terminal window.

Search google and/or this forum for "lxde shortcuts" and hopefully you will find some tips.

( Tip1: "lxshortcut" seems to be a relevant program but I'm not sure if its meant for start-menu or desktop )

( Tip2: Open a terminalwindow and write "which motion" or "which synaptic" to find the exact path to use in shortcuts. )

[FTrevorGowen]

Oh boy- can anyone help please - I've just installed 'motion' and 'synaptic' (packet manager) on Raspbian, but I can't find where they downloaded to. How do I find them and then get them to appear on the desktop?
Thanks
Trian

Not all packages automatically generate desktop icons or links - some are "command line only". synaptic does so and its link is within the "preferences" menu as shown in the first part of my guide to installing CUPS here: http://www.cpmspectrepi.webspace.virgin ... yCUPS.html (NB. that is somewhat old now).
Two other commands to help you discover what you (may) have installed are apropos (which is a bit like a search function) and which which tells you were a specific command is installed, if it exists.
Trev.

[trian]

Is there a way to put shortcuts for both packages on the desktop?
Oh, and v. dumb question - is it the 'executable' files I try to put on the desktop?

"Yes" and "not really".
Like you said its "shortcuts" that you want to put on the desktop, not the executable files themselves.

While "synaptic" is a GUI program and you will probably find it easily enough in the start-menu, "motion" is not a GUI program and usually requires you to start it from a terminal window.

Search google and/or this forum for "lxde shortcuts" and hopefully you will find some tips.

( Tip1: "lxshortcut" seems to be a relevant program but I'm not sure if its meant for start-menu or desktop )

( Tip2: Open a terminalwindow and write "which motion" or "which synaptic" to find the exact path to use in shortcuts. )

Hey, TopGuy thanks,
Yes, I eventually found Synaptic in one of the menus, so that solved that problem; I can now access it. But how to deal with Motion is my next issue - at least I can find it now (with all the suggestions I've received - many thanks guys!.). So, I need to start motion from a terminal window - how and then, how do I control it (ie stop it from taking a million unwanted images and filling up my card with useless pics?)

[trian]

Oh boy- can anyone help please - I've just installed 'motion' and 'synaptic' (packet manager) on Raspbian, but I can't find where they downloaded to. How do I find them and then get them to appear on the desktop?
Thanks
Trian

Not all packages automatically generate desktop icons or links - some are "command line only". synaptic does so and its link is within the "preferences" menu as shown in the first part of my guide to installing CUPS here: http://www.cpmspectrepi.webspace.virgin ... yCUPS.html (NB. that is somewhat old now).
Two other commands to help you discover what you (may) have installed are apropos (which is a bit like a search function) and which which tells you were a specific command is installed, if it exists.
Trev.

Hey, thanks Trev,
I was wondering how I worked out what files had already been installed with the Raspbian O/S & with my bumbling efforts.
Will try these now. Boy, its so different from the Mac/Windows. But that's why I got the Pi !
Thanks!

[joan]

...
Hey, thanks Trev,
I was wondering how I worked out what files had already been installed with the Raspbian O/S & with my bumbling efforts.
Will try these now. Boy, its so different from the Mac/Windows. But that's why I got the Pi !
Thanks!

You (and everyone else) had the same problem learning Windows and Macs. I'm afraid you were younger then and you have forgot.