[Novices] downloaded firefox

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> I just downloaded firefox 1.0 to my desktop to try, but understand it is
> some zipped file.  When I clicked on it I expected some kind of Wizard
> (I know, bad word) to lead me through the install.  Not so.  I just got
> a box with file names in it.  How do I turn this in to a Icon/working
> program?

What you probably downloaded is a 'tarball'.  This is only for those who
for some sick-n-twisted reason either (a) want to build the thing
themseleves because they need some bizarre option or (b) are masochistic
enough to use a distribution that doesn't do package management.

On Windows a software package is expected to install itself, but
providing a setup.exe or whatnot that does *something*.  The 'something'
is the problem and one of the reasons Windows is always mucked up.

On a good Linux distribution (Fedora, SuSe, Debian, etc...) installation
and removal of software is managed by a centralized package management
system.  Called RPM or APT usually.

What you want to find is an RPM (assuming Fedora or SuSe) appropriate
for you system; this you will be able to install without incident and
will 'just work'.

Post what distribution you are using and I'll be able to tell you where
to go look (or how to look using software already on your system).