new to linux and need help

Ok i am fairly new to using linux. I currently run pclinux and the only thing i can figure out is how to install programs like this that i download. ANy help would be appreciated.

1. Download the file.
from: http://secondlife.com/community/linux-alpha.php

2. Extract it to a directory.
I suggest using whatever graphical archive program your distro has associated with the download. If your a windows expatriot undoubtedly you're familiar with Winzip, so this shouldn't be hard. You'll probably want to extract it to some directory inside your "Home" directory... (ie /home/<your user name>/secondlife)

3. Open the directory.
Using your filemanager, usually Konqueror or Nautilus. So in other words, click "home" on your desktop, and navigate to the directory where you extracted to.

4. Click on the icon that says "secondlife".
It's a script. It will run the game. If nothing happens, the game has crashed... in which case you will need to open a console (command prompt) and type "cd <whatever is your secondlife directory>" and then type "./secondlife" and post the results for us so we know what may have gone wrong.

I hope this is explicit enough... trying to explain without overdoing it, and being patronizing. =)

Note: This doesn't "install" the program so to speak, it just dumps it in your user directory, but it does let you run secondlife. Your distro, pclinux, probably has it's own method of installing a program (usually through some sort of package manager, such as synaptic)... but i'm not familiar with PCLinux, so i can't say exactly how it's done. Often a distro will fall behind on packages such as secondlife, so the method i detailed is probably your best way of keeping up to date.

Good luck.

great i will give it a shot. Thanks for the help. I do have synaptic with pclinux but like i said still learning all of this. Linux is much better than windows .

Check is your video card is supported and all OpenGL drivers are running and working.

hi,
I'm new to linux and tried running secondlife (on suse 10 )
downloaded, extracted the app, and when i run it i get this message:

(thanks for your help)
********************************************

2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: QUEUED THREAD STARTING
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: QUEUED THREAD STARTING
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: QUEUED THREAD STARTING
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z WARNING: LLDir_Linux not fully implemented!
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Checking marker file for lock...
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Marker file isn't locked.
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Checking marker file for lock...
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Marker file created.
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Removing message.log
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Exiting init_marker_file().
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Opening debug file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/logs/debug_info.log2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Second Life version 1.12.2
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Local time: 2006-08-13T12:39:25 EST
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: CPU info:
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z processor : 0 vendor_id : AuthenticAMD cpu family : 6 model : 10 model name : AMD Athlon(tm) stepping : 0 cpu MHz : 1250.121 cache size : 512 KB fdiv_bug : no hlt_bug : no f00f_bug : no coma_bug : no fpu : yes fpu_exceptio: yes cpuid level : 1 wp : yes flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse syscall mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow bogomips : 2511.23
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Memory info:
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z MemTotal: 515776 kB MemFree: 6232 kB Buffers: 53768 kB Cached: 260532 kB SwapCached: 0 kB Active: 306212 kB Inactive: 166380 kB HighTotal: 0 kB HighFree: 0 kB LowTotal: 515776 kB LowFree: 6232 kB SwapTotal: 971892 kB SwapFree: 968592 kB Dirty: 80 kB Writeback: 0 kB Mapped: 242616 kB Slab: 27164 kB CommitLimit: 1229780 kB Committed_AS: 271844 kB PageTables: 2052 kB VmallocTotal: 507896 kB VmallocUsed: 16184 kB VmallocChunk: 489056 kB HugePages_Total: 0 HugePages_Free: 0 Hugepagesize: 4096 kB
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: OS info: Linux 2.6.13-15-default #1 Tue Sep 13 14:56:15 UTC 2005 i686
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Loading feature tables.
2006-08-13T02:39:25Z INFO: Applying Feature Mask: CPUSlow
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: QUEUED THREAD STARTING
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading configuration file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: Couldn't open file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: LLXmlTree parse failed. Line 1: Couldn't open file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: Unable to open control file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Failed to load settings from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading legacy settings from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/settings.ini
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: LLControlGroup::loadFromFile unable to open.
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: Couldn't open file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/crash_settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: LLXmlTree parse failed. Line 1: Couldn't open file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/crash_settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z WARNING: Unable to open control file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/user_settings/crash_settings.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading art table from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/viewerart.xml2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading base colors from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/colors_base.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading user colors from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/colors.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Failed to load user colors from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/colors.xml
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Loading legacy colors from /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/colors.ini
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Default vfs data file not present, found /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/data.db2.x.819443342
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Old salt: 819443342
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Renaming /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/data.db2.x.819443342 to /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/data.db2.x.1949406144
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: Renaming /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/index.db2.x.819443342 to /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/index.db2.x.1949406144
2006-08-13T02:39:26Z INFO: VFS: Using index file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/index.db2.x.1949406144 and data file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/SecondLife/cache/data.db2.x.1949406144
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: VFS: Using index file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/static_index.db2 and data file /root/SecondLife_i686_1_12_2_9/app_settings/static_data.db2
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: Initializing window...
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: createContext, fullscreen=0 size=800x600
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: createContext: creating window 800x600x32
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: createContext: window creation failure. SDL: Couldn't find matching GLX visual
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: destroyContext begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: shutdownGL begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: SDL_QuitSS/VID begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z WARNING: OSMessageBox: Window creation error
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: Skipping quitCursors: mWindow already gone.
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: destroyContext begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: shutdownGL begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: SDL_QuitSS/VID begins
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z WARNING: LLWindowManager::create() : Error creating window.
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z WARNING: Unable to create window, be sure screen is set at 32-bit color in Control Panels->Display->Settings
2006-08-13T02:39:27Z INFO: remove_marker_file()

If you look at the line..

2006-08-13T02:39:27Z WARNING: Unable to create window, be sure screen is set at 32-bit color in Control Panels->Display->Settings

It tells you the possable error. Make sure you've got your X setup to run 32 bit. Also be sure that you're running SL as the same user who you've logged in with. If you try to run SL as root and you're a normal user on X it won't open a window.