Argh...why can't I just mash 'install'?

[mrblotto]

I know it's obvious for most 'nix folks, but I dont bash, sudo, or gedit very much.......

I have an old(er) desktop machine I built a few years ago. Nothing special

I decided to *gasp* BUY the latest copy of Zorin 12 a few months ago.

Not doing anything with it, I decided to try it on the desktop. It went on fine, found all the bells and whistles.

"Great!" I thought to myself......followed by "uhhhhh....what now?"

I decided it would be kinda cool if I could remote in to it via my Windows lappy here.

I looked around the interwebs and found an app called TigerVNC that has both 'nix and Windoze versions. That should allow me to remote in and monkey around on the Zorin box

Here's where I get lost - I downloaded the Ubuntu version of TigerVNC. I'm not looking at it right now, but I think it's a .tar or .tar.gz file

I'm not sure how to install it! I double click it, and it just kinda 'unzips' it so I can see all the files........

Then I saw something on the tubes about 'synaptics installer', so I tried that, but I'm lost at what to do - drag the file into the synaptics window? Right clicking on the file has a few options, but none of them seemed to work.
Maybe I need to go into Terminal and sudo appget or whatever it's called?

Thx in advance
Blah-Toe

 

[dave_the_nerd]

You're a beginner, so you should install through a package manager. There's probably a GUI one (you shouldn't need a CLI) called 'Software Center' or something similar.

You're a beginner, so you should not try to install VNC on a Linux system.

*breaks out in hives*

 

[mxnerd]

The problem with Software Center or Software Manager is they usually don't have most current version. Or even several versions behind.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The problem with Software Center or Software Manager is they usually don't have most current version. Or even several versions behind.

True enough, but it'll work probably.

And if you are motivated to install the latest version, you can do that manually.

 

[mxnerd]

Snap & Flatpak might be the future.

https://snapcraft.io/

https://flatpak.org/

 

[mrblotto]

Got it to work!

I didn't realize that you can mostly use any 'VNC' app to talk to almost any other 'VNC' app, so I have vncviewer running on my lappy connecting to (I forget the name) on the 'nix box. It was in the synaptics installer app. I just searched for 'VNC' and a bunch came up. Tested it and it works

 

[Red Squirrel]

I know the struggle, been using Linux for years and the lack of proper standardization for packages still infuriates me, and the fact that stuff works or fails and it's completely random. Why is it that every single Linux distro needs it's own version of a package, and that on one distro it might work a certain way while on another it might give an error and you have to then do a bunch of other steps etc... there needs to be more consistency. Maybe containers are the answer to this issue, but that would require devs to ship their stuff as a container, too. Some do but most don't. It's still a fairly new thing though, I have only read up on them myself, have not actually played with them.

 

[piokos]

I know it's obvious for most 'nix folks, but I dont bash, sudo, or gedit very much.......

The need for terminal operation for basic tasks is a huge problem in Linux.
On Windows and OSX you only need to go into terminal for specific administration tasks.
On Linux... well... everyone is expected to be an admin (or a wannabe admin).

Choosing the right distro might help - some are famous for their graphical administration tools (like openSUSE). But you won't escape from the console even on trimmed, beginner-friendly variants (like Endless OS).

I'm not sure how to install it! I double click it, and it just kinda 'unzips' it so I can see all the files..

Linux has been built around package repositories, which are like app stores on other platforms (Google Play, Windows Store, iTunes etc). You find an app you like, you click 'install' and it does everything for you.
Unlike Windows, the repository is really large and usually contains the software you need. Also unlike Windows, you're not choosing a directory or doing any kind of "setup" steps during the process. The app is installed in a default state and it provides it's own tool for customization (often a config text file).

Each Linux distro comes with a program that works as an interface with the repository. There's always a console one (avoid it if you can) and a graphical one. On Zorin OS it's just called "Software" in the menu.
If you're a novice user, I'd suggest not doing any manual installs from files that you've downloaded from the net (like we do in Windows).

The problem with Software Center or Software Manager is they usually don't have most current version. Or even several versions behind.

The great feature about repositories is that they don't have most current version FOR A REASON.

On most Linux distros you have a choice of repositories (more or less tested). Installing latest stuff found on the net (or compiling yourself) is always a risk.
Choosing officially distributed (supported) packages is what makes Linux a stable and safe platform. If a package makes it to "stable" repository, it means it was already checked by other developers - including reading the code that could contain anything from massive mistakes to malware.
If you're installing something found online, there's always a chance you're the first person using it (apart from the author). Maybe he made a tiny mistake that worked on his PC but will brick yours.

I know the struggle, been using Linux for years and the lack of proper standardization for packages still infuriates me, and the fact that stuff works or fails and it's completely random. Why is it that every single Linux distro needs it's own version of a package, and that on one distro it might work a certain way while on another it might give an error and you have to then do a bunch of other steps etc...

Not exactly true. You have 3 main package formats these days: RPM (Red Hat), DEB (Debian) and straightforward TAR archvies (Arch). You also have software that makes easy conversion possible (Alien). It's not that bad.
Yes, almost every Linux has custom package manager that works differently, but that's the whole point of having different Linux distributions, isn't it? Their developers try to stand out.

Are you using something from the Debian/Ubuntu branch? Is it, by chance, a niche community-driven distro?
That's the problem with Ubuntu: massive fragmentation of the ecosystem, dozens of messy distributions.
If you stay with pure Debian or Ubuntu (or Mint) and use the officially supported desktop environment, it's a great platform. But even popular flavours like Xubuntu can be problematic.

The Red Hat side is generally better organized - it's enterprise-oriented and there are companies looking after the ecosystem. RHEL, Fedora, CentOS and openSUSE are fairly similar and compatible. But they're also seen as somehow boring, which was the reason of Ubuntu's exploding popularity a decade ago.