Where can I get the Linux client in .rpm format?

I want to install the SL client in Linux OpenSuse 11.1. I went to the official downloads page but the client there is only available as a tar.bz2 archive. These tarball packages are meant to be uncompressed and recompiled which I heard is unrecommended and it's also beyond my knowledge with Linux at the moment. I was wondering if anyone knows where I could find the Linux installer for the latest Second Life client in .rpm format (a place where it also gets updated if possible). Thanks.

not true, the regular linux client, you can get via de the download page (when logged in on the sl website), is compiled already.
Al you need to do is extract this archive, to a location of choice.
then after extracting, you go inside that folder, and start the client, by double clicking it. (standard settings in gnome and kde)
It might ask you with a popup, on what to do, run in console etc..
depends on the settings..
but, that the general idea on how to use it.

good luck

Aah so it's already installed but archived. I was trying to run ./configure in it to get it working.. thanks, I'll try that next.

RPM is evil. Evil evil evil. Oh my god, it's got a direct pipe from Hell's evil server. I feel so sorry for those people at Red Hat and Suse. Well, except for the people who came up with this. I don't feel sorry for them. No, that's not the right emotion at all.

It's a personal preference merely.
RPM, DEB, TGZ, Ebuilds, etc etc..

they all have their pro's and cons.. not one of them is better, maybe easier, but easier doesn't mean better in global definition for everyone.

It's what you define as better, argent. and applies merely to you alone in the first place. (your experiences)

Have you ever had to integrate RPM into an automated workflow? Even with the %Files list handed to you? Have you looked into the format? It's obviously designed by someone as their first real project. It's got a fixed size binary header that serves no useful purpose whatsoever because they couldn't expand it, so all it does is flag "this is an RPM".

Every other packaging system was based on leveraging standard archive formats. It's easy to build anything else by building an archive with the right format... and you're done. RPM you have to pretty much build a chrooted jail to run the rpm application in.

It's a nasty, smelly, mess.

well, could be etc etc..

nevertheless it must have pro's otherwise the enterprise world wouldn't use it at all..

E.g. Novell uses it in SuSE
Redhat in ES
Mandriva (yes used in enterprise segments as desktops etc)

those are the only distribution makers, that have influences in the enterprise market.. (commercially)

and they provide quality training certification and support, to their customers.. and thus rpm..

In a world where Windows is the leading desktop, I think we can pretty much assume that the quality of a product can't have much to do with its success.

it's just because it's widespread

i like ebuilds