Lubuntu archive manager fails to open archives

Question

So I'm trying to install the linux version of War Thunder, but I've run into this problem before.

I've downloaded it and I placed it on the Desktop under warthunder.gz

I double-click on it, and lubuntu's Archive Manager Pops up.

It displays this:

Name:   warthunder
Size:   9.8 MB       
Type:   unknown
Modified: Feb 20 2015, 20:14

I double-click on it, and 2 more Archive Manager windows pop up. The first is normal, but with no files in it, and the second is a smaller error message.

'Could not open "warthunder"
Archive type not supported'

This happens with any nearly any file I try. I install any tools through terminal, becasue nothing works with the usual method. Any advice, because I am clueless. I also already have p7zip.

Answer 1

Like mentioned in the question thread here, installing a program from a place other than the repositories (think: Ubuntu Software Center) is the exception, and not the rule.

Warthunder is (indirectly) available from the repositories. You can download and run Warthunder through Valve's Steam digital software delivery system. Steam is available in Ubuntu's repositories either by opening up the software center, or by running sudo apt-get install steam from the terminal. Once inside Steam you can open up warthunder by selecting the free game from the Steam store.

However, if you're set on installing the file you downloaded from the website:

You're seeing that error because the archive contains a binary executable to install warthunder. Again, in linuxland, downloading a binary from the internet and running it is weird. There are a lot of files in the archive that the installation script might need, so it's best to extract the entire archive, and then run the binary file.

In the archive manager program, click extract, and extract the archive to some location (probably either your home directory or ~/Desktop). Open up the directory in the file manager (pcmanfm) and double click on updater. pcmanfm will ask you if you really want to run the executable, and you can choose either to execute it or run it in the terminal.