# Installing a tar.bz2 file



## xlanou (Jun 13, 2007)

I have been trying to install a tar.bz2 file by doing the following:

I downloaded skype-1.4.0.74-static.tar.bz2 file and saved it to my home/xlanou/download/ directory. I then used cd /home/xlanou/download/ typed "ls" I now right clicked on the file and selected "Open with Ark". Once Ark has finished displaying the contents of the file i clicked on "Action" and then selected "Extract". And from there nothing! Could someone please come to my rescue......once again please!


----------



## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

What makes you think that "Ark" is the proper application to install a tar file that is compressed with bzip2 to get a .bz2 suffixed file?

First, you need to uncompress the tar.bz2 file with bunzip2 to get a .tar file, and then you can extract the tar file into a skype directory located elsewhere than your download directory. Afterwards, it would be a good idea to create an archive directory somewhere else and recompress the tar file with bzip2 and put it there - and any other downloaded software from the Internet.

To verify whether your sytem even has bzip utilities, issue the command:

$ which bzip2

If not, you need to download and install the bzip utility from: http://www.bzip.org/

-- Tom

P.S. Read up about Skype on the Internet - it was reported to have security problems at one point in the past - I don't know whether they were resolved or not.


----------



## WARnux (Jun 29, 2007)

What distro and version are you using. All of the distro's I 've used had everything I needed for this installed by default. I use Debian with KDE right now. All I do is right click on the file and select Extract -> Extract Here, and it's done!


----------



## xlanou (Jun 13, 2007)

I have run the command $ which bzip2 and i was informed /usr/bin/bzip2 so i take it i do have it installed. 

I am using Mandriva Spring with KDE and i was trying to extract using "Ark" and i obviously failed.

The mention of setting up an archive directory and recompressing tar files is something i will have to look up in order to carry out.


----------



## WARnux (Jun 29, 2007)

No, that means that bzip2 is located in /usr/bin.
You should be able to simply right click on the file as I explained above - very simple.


----------

