Jhead hints for GALLERY users

If you know what the 'executable bit' is, read no further. This page is not for you.

I periodically get emails from people trying to set up gallery. Many of these people have very little knowldge of UNIX or Linux, and most of the problems stem not from any issue with Jhead, but from a lack of understanding of UNIX basics.

This page is intended to provide some simple step by step instructions for UNIX / Linux novices.

How to 'install' Jhead

Jhead doesn't actually need an 'install' procedure like most Windows programs do. Its a stand-alone program, and if you are using it with gallery, all you need is the 'jhead' binary, which is the executable. You can in fact 'install' it with 'RPM' on RPM based systems, but ignore that - if you know what an RPM is, you are ahead of the game already.

1. Downloading jhead onto your computer

Chances are, the server you are dealing with runs Linux. You want the Pre-built linux binary. To download the binary, right click on HERE and select 'save link target as'. Then select a place to put it that you can remember. I suggest c:\jhead. If your server runs an OS other than Linux, you need to select the appropriate binary on the main jhead page Use the same right click, save link target as thing. If you have one of those mouse button challenged computers, hold down shift and click on it to bring up the context menu.

2. Uploading jhead onto the server

If you already know how to use an FTP style program, use the program that you know. Put it where gallery needs it. Typically, it goes in the 'bin' directory off your home directory.

If you don't know how to use an FTP program, use explorer. For example, if your user name is 'foobar' on host 'myserver.com', then type "ftp://foobar@myserver.com" into the address bar in explorer. It will prompt you for your password on thet server. Enter it.

Next make sure there is a 'bin' directory (folder). If there isn't one, make one. Next go into the 'bin' folder, and drag jhead into it.

3. Marking the file executable

Next, you need to make the file executable. Depending on the FTP server used on your gallery host, you may or may not be able to do this from explorer. right click on the file. If it says in the window 'this server does not support changing file permissions', then you can't do it from exporer. Otherwise, make sure all the check boxes under 'execute' are set. If you can do this, and gallery now recognizes jhead, you are done.

If the FTP server doesn't support changing file mermissions, you need to do it from a login schell.

4. Marking the file executable / checking from a login shell

You can also mark the file as executable from a login shell. If you don't know about login shells or how to use one, perhaps this would be a good time to give up - or at least accept the fact that you need to spend some time learning about that sort of thing. The topic is more extensive than what makes sense to cover in this file.

If you do know some basics about login shells, then log in and go into the bin directory. Type the command "chmod +x jhead". You can also make sure that jhead is executable by trying to run it. type "./jhead -V". in the directory that has jhead in it. It should print something like:

   Jhead version: 2.4   Compiled: May 29 2005

If it does that, you know its on your system and executable.

And that's all there's to it.

If you are having difficulties with 'gallery' itself, please don't ask me for help. While I think gallery is a cool piece of software, I don't personally have a need for it, so I never used it.

Back to the Jhead page.