Installing MagicQ

[Barreller]

So I've got a spare netbook which used to run Windows XP but has now been rebuilt with Linux (Ubuntu) and decided that it could be a handy backup for MagicQ PC which I run on my laptop. The problem is I can't seem to install it. I go to Chamsys website, download the Linux version but don't really see what to do next. I think that I've unzipped the files but can't see an "install directory" or a MagicQ icon. Can anybody help?

[Tom Baldwin]

It's been a while, but when I "installed" MagicQ on Linux, there wasn't anything more to do than unzip the files, and then execute the magicq file - so assuming you're in the directory containing this file, just type:

./magicq

It never used to do anything fancy like dump an icon on your desktop etc.

[themadhippy]

yep, it used to be as simple as go to wherever you’d extracted the file too, and clicking magicq,then a few releases ago I started having to chant a few command line spells to get things playing nicley,however so far, I haven’t got anything past 1.5.9 to play properly .What error message do you get when you try and run from the command prompt

[Barreller]

Unfortunately you are trying to help a computer illiterate. I have downloaded the application and extracted all files but don't know about command prompts. Executing the magicq file is a bit of a challenge as well. If this is the one which is a "Folder(inode/directory)" then how do I execute it?

 

The Chamsys instructions confuse me as well. It says nothing about extracting but does say that I need to select all files (how do I do this easily?) and drag them to a new folder where I want Magicq to be installed. I have no idea where this location might be!!

[Tom Baldwin]

Which version of MagicQ are you trying to install? I've just looked at the installation instructions on the Chamsys website, and the instructions they currently have don't involve unzipping anything any more.

Instructions

Also, which version of Ubuntu are you running?

 

General answers to your questions:

Executing a file should be as simple as double-clicking it, if you're using a graphical file manager (i.e. something which looks a bit like Windows Explorer). If you've found a folder, that's not the executable - it might be inside it, in which case double click the folder to open it, and then have a look around.

To run a program from the command line, you need to open a terminal - in most recent versions of Ubuntu, you'll probably want to:

- click the circular logo top left of your screen to get the launcher up

- type "terminal"

- double click on the program icon which appears with the text Terminal

This will give you a command prompt, similar to the old DOS command prompt

Now you need to know *where* you extracted the files to in the first place - you should be able to figure that out from the file manager which told you about that file being of type folder.

Once you know (let's assume your file is called magicq and is in /home/barreller/magicq/), then simply type:

/home/barreller/magicq/magicq

and it should launch. The errors that themadhippy was talking about will appear as text under the command you typed.

 

And in the old install instructions you appear to be following, it really didn't matter where you copied the files to - anywhere you could get to would be good enough.

 

I have to say, though, that the new instructions look better than the old ones, so I would incline to follow them if you can.

[gyro_gearloose]

Unfortunately you are trying to help a computer illiterate.

So why did you get rid of XP and install Linux? Theres nothing wrong with XP, especially if you are computer illiterate :)

 

I know someone will pipe up and say 'but XP isn't supported anymore'. So what? If its just being used on a netbook to run MagicQ I don't see what the problem is.

[Barreller]

Unfortunately you are trying to help a computer illiterate.

So why did you get rid of XP and install Linux? Theres nothing wrong with XP, especially if you are computer illiterate :)

 

I know someone will pipe up and say 'but XP isn't supported anymore'. So what? If its just being used on a netbook to run MagicQ I don't see what the problem is.

 

Because I wanted to. The netbook is surplus to requirements and I wanted to break away from the Microsoft tie. A friend rebuilt the machine with Linux and I like what I see. However, as I have installed MagicQ on several PCs over the years I thought that installing it on the netbook would be a simple operation.

 

By the way, I'm not that illiterate!!