You can't "install" tar.gz files. You have to unzip them with file roller or xarchiver or whatever ubuntu uses nowadays. But it would be easier just to get (for example) Firefox via the repositories. Just type "sudo apt-get install firefox" in your terminal or use the "software center" GUI.

Not OP, can we make this thread a tar.gz general anyway?

Ok, so I know how to compile programs in tar.gz, but where are they saved after we compile the sauce? How do we remove said programs?

>>267
Firefox tarballs that don't specifically say source typically contain the thing precompiled and statically linked in a directory containing all the necessary files, you might as well just install firefox from a deb package. As for bitcoin, why the fuck would you want to use that shit?

>>269
After compiling they exist in the directory with the make file and target sauce. "make install" typically places the files within /usr/local by default. For example, "/usr/local/lib/example.so" for libraries, "/usr/local/include/example.h" for headers, or "/usr/local/bin/example" for executable files.
Depending on the size of the project or how it's set up for compiling, you can pass an argument to "configure" setting the prefix variable so that it installs to that path as opposed to /usr/local. For example, "./configure --prefix=/usr". If there's just a makefile with no configure script it's usually done by "make PREFIX=/[Pathname of prefix] install" AFTER compiling.

installing thru .tar.gz is for people who know what they are doing.

If you don't agree the with phrases: "I looked and it wasn't in the repositories, and there are no results for X.deb/X.rpm" or "The version in the repository is too old/missing some patch and I waould like to compile my own" and "I am not a noob", then .tar.gz is *NOT FOR YOU*.

Ok, so you are 1337 and have a legit reason to install from source. .gz means it was compressed with gzip. .tar means it was archived with tar. you need to undo (with gunzip and tar -xf) those things so that you have just a directory or some files. Then you need to build and install.

Go into the directory that came out of the archive, read the README. usually the procedure is like "./configure && make && sudo make install", though sometimes it's something else. If you can't figure it out, you suck and you are a noob and should stick to repository software. once you run those commands, it will be installed on your system. If you are lucky, "make uninstall" will remove it, but this is rare. Uninstalling is why you use package managers that keep track of what files got installed.

have fun and always use repository first. don't be like a dumbass windows user who just runs random executables from the internets.

firefox: install from the repo
bitcoin: u mad, bro?

You gotta compile the file after unarchiving it... but with Ubuntu, you should just use the package manager! Anyway, open the folder in the terminal. Then, do this:
> tar xf [start typing the file name and press tab]
> cd [the folder]
> configure
> make
> sudo make install