open up a shell (either from the gui or command line),
go to the directory where you have downloaded the file,
'untar -xvzf' it into a temp directory (optionally untar where it is),
change to the directory created by the untar command,

<optional>
read the install notes and modify any of the following
instructions for specifics in the install notes,
read any readme files,
</optional>

run make as a non-root user,
run make install,

<optional>
edit the KDE/gnome/whatever-gui menu system to reflect the new app,
make a link on the desktop of the new app,
</optional>

use it.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Needham [mailto:jmneedham@kc.rr.com]
> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 12:00 PM
> To: kclug@kclug.org
> Subject: Taking the Plunge-Resolution
> 
> 
> Hello all:
> 
> This concludes the threads:
> 
> Taking the Plunge
> Taking the Plunge Version 1.1
> and
> Taking the Plunge-Still
> 
> I have a fully operationg SuSE 8.2 system up and running and 
> I am writing this 
> e-mail from Kmail :-)  Thanks for all that helped me get here 
> and for all the 
> suggestions made.
> 
> I am still doing tweaking however, and need some help.  I am 
> wanting to run an 
> MSN messenger client and the included Kopete crashes... I 
> downloaded a newer 
> client called AMSN and wanted to use it but it needs compiled 
> (is only 
> source) never done this... has a makefile and just need 
> direction on how to 
> compile her... I suppose it is gcc that I will be using :-)
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> 
> -- 
> J. Mike Needham
> jmneedham@kc.rr.com
> Shawnee, KS  66214
> 
> 
> 
> majordomo@kclug.org
>