Ubuntu linux equivelent of Windows .exe files

So ive been playing around a bit on the live cd... and ive downloaded and installed some things. but nothing really seems to be of the same filetype for programs. Can someone explain to me in simple terms exactly... how things work... with installing or just Running programs.

For example. VLC media player. In windows... i dont need to install it. This is why i like it so much, it is a portable program that i can just stick on a jumpdrive etc.

When i was looking for VLC ubuntu version, i had no choise but to install. How can i get the same effect of just running the program from any location I want in Ubuntu?

Thanks

 

you need to run a .run program.

If it's a windows program, run it in wine.

 

So how many linux programs have a .run version. Is it not very common? VLC, is there somewhere i can download that with .run?

 

You can grab VLC through Synaptic. No configs required, just click and it downloads and installs at the same time. Synaptic can be used to install any program in this manner, you dont need to go hunting for it.

 

You don't need to install VLC in windows just because it expect local directory decoder driver. In linux principal, you would put them in /usr/share/ so that you can have it wherever you are. VLC doesn't need a lot config.

 

Linux executables don't have to have a .exe, .run, or ANY extension. Most of the time, they don't have any extensions at all (type 'ls -l /usr/bin' at a terminal and see what most of your programs are named, none of them have extensions). It's the Windows world that makes files executable by their extension. A Linux file is executable if it is set to be executable, as in, the file properties say it's executable. It means you can't randomly download something and have it run without you explicitly telling the computer that it should be run, which is usually a good thing.

As for VLC, I don't know. Different programs are written differently. If VLC doesn't use any shared libraries, you can still download it under Linux, put it where you want and set it to be executable. But that's a clunky way of doing things. It's better to "install" it under Linux. An install in Linux isn't nearly as invasive as an install is on Windows, under Linux it will just copy the VLC program to the appropriate directory for it to run when you want it to. Use the package manager... that's what it's there for. It's a bit of a paradigm shift, but it's a worthwhile one.

 

Hmm, ok, i think im begining to understand how programs are installed and run...

But, what is synaptic?

 

Synaptic is Ubuntu's package manager. It is basically a graphical interface for you to interact with the Ubuntu servers and find applications (known in Ubuntu as packages). Using Synaptic, you will be able to search through the packages available on the servers and install them just by clicking a check box.

 

Ohhh, ok. so that basically what i was using when totem player couldnt play my movies and it began to search for codecs. Then it gave me a list and i just checked the boxes. Are these codecs ok, or are there better ones or is it better to manually install my own codecs?

 

Those codecs should be fine.

 

Well... sort of... in a way. See, Ubuntu has actually two package managers. What you were seeing was the Add/Remove Applications manager. This is found on the Accessories menu at the bottom. It basically does the same thing, but makes it a little prettier, and doesn't show as much stuff. For instance, it doesn't show things like lib files all the random little things that you may come across that make your computer run; it only shows the major things like applications and codecs and so forth. Synaptic, on the other hand, is found in the System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager locations of the menus. It basically does the same thing, except, as I said, it shows a lot more stuff at the risk of being less graphical. This is where you'll want to go if you search through the Add/Remove Applications manager and don't find what you're looking for.