Linux: How can I install applications for multiple users?

[aneeqa]

I am new to the environment of Linux and to its any distribution and hence I thought that it will be great to have some help here in this case of mine. I just want to know if you all can help me in installing the applications to any of the Linux distribution in such a manner that it can be accessed by multiple users here. I am new but I know that it is really possible but the only thing is that I do not know the way. What will I have to do so that it can be accomplished here? I will be really happy to know if there is a way for this here. Will I have to make some changes in the Root Directories? Any idea on this topic will be really appreciated. Please let me know and please try to come up with some simple steps for implementing it here.

[Zhankana_n]

Well in your case the scenario is really simple and the things that you need to do is as follows. In order to progress with the things here you will be required to have SuperUser access and once you have that you will be able to make all the necessary changes that you actually want to make here and make the things run in the proper manner. Well if you will have this then it means that you have with you sudo permissions. Well this is the first thing that you will be required to have for you. To keep the things simple this is the very first basic step here. If you are not getting the things here then let me tell you that you will be required to have the Root password and then you will be able to alter to the root account.

[teena_pansare]

After looking at the thing that you have mentioned here I think that you have missed on really something vital and I think that it will be great if you can specify that in your next post here. Actually the thing is that if you are not installing a distribution package then it cannot be accessed by all the users of the system will not be able to have access on it but when the case is of Distribution package then the scenario just changes. The thing here is that when you install the Distribution package management software; it gets installed for the whole system and if that happens then it gets automatically accessed by all the users here. This was the thing that I was talking about that you are missing here. So if it is the Distribution package then you are no longer required to make extra effort for it.

[Ekpah]

Totally agreed to what has been said above and please see if that can be the case in your case there. Well in addition to that I also want to tell you all there is also another way by which you will be able to get this thing working here and it will be accessed to all the users of the system. If you will be installing the application from the source itself; then let me tell you that the application or say the Software will get installed in /usr or /usr/local by default. So let me tell you that if this will be the scenario here then you will be able to make all these applications available to the users there.

[aneeqa]

Really thanks a lot for all the replies here; but really the thing here is that I do not think that this can be the case here really. I will try for the things that you all have asked for here but in addition to that will I be able to get the same thing if I install the application to the directories like /var or /opt ? This is just what I actually feel like asking and hence I thought that it will be great to ask this here. Please let me know if there is at all a way in this manner that I can follow. Also in addition to this I wanted to ask that you have mentioned that if I will install it in the root section it will be available to all the users; but will that not cause any risk in doing this. Going with the Root is really risky; so please if possible clear this point here.

[SalVatore]

The risk is there but it depends how risky can it be actually here. Well you want to have the applications on the system to be accessed by all the users then let me tell you that for this you will be required to have root permissions with you. Actually if you want to write anything outside the Home Directory you will be required to be a root user or you will be required to use sudo here. Also looking at the things here if you want you can bring package management tools in action here. Well the package management tools can be set in such a manner so that you can have this thing to be done here. Also at the end let me tell you that you will not at all require to have /opt here; /usr and /usr/local can be accessed by all the users there.