Because it installs in /opt (optional software) all the files are contined within that one directory, thus not creating anything elsewhere on the system.

There should be a program to run in /opt/ibm/lotus/symphony/bin or similar...? Does it have instructions anywhere in the directory?

No bin
/opt/ibm/lotus/symphony/framework with the following folders
eclipse, licence, rcp, shared

I've just left my netbook for the last three hours converting the RPM and DEB packages, with success on the latter.

The Debian package (perhaps the RPM too) contains a link:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 152 2010-07-20 20:09 /usr/bin/symphony -> /opt/ibm/lotus/Symphony/framework/shared/eclipse/plugins/com.ibm.productivity.tools.standalone.launcher.linux.x86_1.5.0.20090908-0900/IBM Lotus Symphony

So, can you 'chmod +x' and execute the file to which it is pointing? I had to add executable permissions to the file in /usr/bin and the item in the Launch menu doesn't work, but it ran manually.

Thanks for your patience.

I have in this directory
/opt/ibm/lotus/Symphony/framework/shared/eclipse/plugins/com.ibm.symphony.standard.launcher.linux.x86_2.0.0.20100604-0325/

The following file
IBM Lotus Symphony

Did a chmod +x
Ran ./IBM\ Lotus\ Symphony

No Luck. Maybe I will try the .deb

ps
trying this on an AAOne/8GB/1.5GB
the 7" screen makes it pretty difficult to drill so deep
since this is a beta maybe ibm will give us 33 more directories !

Used the .deb package
Converted to tazpkg
Installed successfully in /opt/ibm/lotus/symphony/

cd /opt/ibm/lotus/Symphony/framework/shared/eclipse/plugins/com.ibm
.productivity.tools.standalone.launcher.linux.x86_1.5.0.20090908-0900

./IBM\ Lotus\ Symphony

Fails as below
2010/08/03 11:10:50.987 CONFIG eclipse.buildId=20090525-1200
java.fullversion=IBM J9 2.4 Linux x86-32 (JIT enabled, AOT enabled)
J9VM - 20080918_023053_lHdSMr
JIT - r9_20080721_1330ifx2
GC - 20080724_AA
BootLoader constants: OS=linux, ARCH=x86, WS=gtk, NL=en_US
Framework arguments: -plugincustomization /opt/ibm/lotus/Symphony/framework/rcp/plugin_customization.ini
Command-line arguments: -os linux -ws gtk -arch x86 -data /root/.lotus/symphony -plugincustomization /opt/ibm/lotus/Symphony/framework/rcp/plugin_customization.ini ::class.method=com.ibm.rcp.core.internal.logger.frameworkhook.writeSession() ::thread=Start Level Event Dispatcher ::loggername=com.ibm.rcp.core.internal.logger.frameworkhook
2010/08/03 11:10:51.595 SEVERE Application error ::class.method=unknown ::thread=main ::loggername=org.eclipse.osgi

java.lang.RuntimeException: No application id has been found.
at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppContainer.startDefaultApp(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.MainApplicationLauncher.run(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject.invokeL(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Unknown Source)
at com.ibm.rcp.core.internal.launcher.Main.startLaunch(Unknown Source)
at com.ibm.rcp.core.internal.launcher.Main.main(Unknown Source)
at com.ibm.rcp.core.internal.launcher.Main.run(Unknown Source)
2010/08/03 11:10:51.964 INFO BundleEvent STOPPED ::class.method=unknown ::thread=Thread-2 ::loggername=com.ibm.rcp.lapinvoker


Seems to be a java problem
I have
java-jdk 1.6.1 development
java-jre 1.6.1 development

Any suggestions?