can i install a non-.deb program?

[Nigel Henry]

On Wednesday 31 December 2008 19:55, Derek Broughton wrote:
> Koh Choon Lin wrote:
> >>> Are you referring to this?
> >>> http://www.cabaret-solutions.com/en/downloads/linux
> >>
> >> yes, that's the one.  i'll take a peek in the archive and see if there
> >> is any documentation.
> >
> > They are in .tgz format so I suppose they are likely to be binary or
> > packaged for Slackware.
>
> Not particularly likely.  That's what's known as a "tarball", and is the
> way _source_ software is usually distributed.  You unzip, enter the top
> level directory, and do "./configure; make; sudo make install"

Well I'm currently downloading it on dialup. Not on Ubuntu, but Kubuntu 
Intrepid, as I can use Kget which has resume support, and the package is a 
bit large at 33.3MB. The last thing I want is to get 99% downloaded, then 
lose my connection. I'm not too clued up on what Gnome uses as download 
manager, and if it has resume support.

Once it's downloaded, I'm preparing myself for dependency hell, when trying to 
build it. No deps listed on the webpage, but there may be something in the 
README, or INSTALL files in the tarball. Of course "make" may just run to 
completion with no errors, but I somehow doubt it from past experience in 
trying to build some audio apps that need the latest, and greatest libs in 
order to build. At the moment I'm giving "make" a 50/50 chance of running to 
completion, but fully expect it to throw in the towel with some obscure 
error.

I'll be back in a couple of hours, when the download has completed, and I've 
tried building it.

47% now downloaded, as it takes me so long to compose replies, so, I'll be 
back in an hour or so with the results.

What a way to spend the last day of the year, sat in front of 2 monitors. All 
a bit sad, but I have a few beers at hand.

Nigel.