How to determine software versions

Wim Sturkenboom · 01-25-2005, 01:06 AM

I'm trying to get my scanner to work under Slackware 10. It's a HP3300C and needs the niash backend which in turn needs libusb-0.1.5.
Downloaded that as well (libusb-0.1.8.tar.gz)and compiled it. Installed it in /usr/local/lib.

Code:

wim@AMD-K6:~$ ls -l /usr/lib/libus*
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root    19 2005-01-16 15:07 /usr/lib/libusb-0.1.so.4 -> libusb-0.1.so.4.4.0
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root 28972 2004-03-23 01:03 /usr/lib/libusb-0.1.so.4.4.0
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 32288 2004-03-23 01:03 /usr/lib/libusb.a
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root   803 2004-03-23 01:03 /usr/lib/libusb.la
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root    19 2005-01-16 15:07 /usr/lib/libusb.so -> libusb-0.1.so.4.4.0

Code:

wim@AMD-K6:~$ ls -l /usr/local/lib/libus*
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root    16 2005-01-24 20:37 /usr/local/lib/libusb -> libusb-0.1.4.4.0
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root    16 2005-01-24 20:37 /usr/local/lib/libusb-0.1.4 -> libusb-0.1.4.4.0
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root 34106 2005-01-24 20:37 /usr/local/lib/libusb-0.1.4.4.0
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 32288 2005-01-24 20:37 /usr/local/lib/libusb.a
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root   698 2005-01-24 20:37 /usr/local/lib/libusb.la
wim@AMD-K6:~$

The first one lists the libusb from the standard Slack installation, the second one the new libusb.

From the filenames, both are the same, so how do I determine the actual version?

overlord73 · 01-25-2005, 02:01 AM

I would try to install a rpm-file for mandrake.
perhaps "libusb0.1_4-0.1.7-1mdk.i586.rpm"

Wim Sturkenboom · 01-26-2005, 12:27 AM

That defeats the object. I like to be able to find the version of installed libs.

Thanks anyway.

rnturn · 01-26-2005, 01:54 PM

Just a thought:

You might be able to control the order in /etc/ld.so.conf. (I haven't tried this so YMMV.)

You can control the library search order for some applications using the environment variable "LD_LIBRARY_PATH". If you put /usr/local/lib first, you should find you V0.1.8 library before the V0.1.5 library.

__J · 01-26-2005, 02:11 PM

generally its library.major_number.minor_number.patch_level symlinked to library.major_number

those two do look the same. generally, if your gonna upgrade a package, you should replace the original package instead of installing a conflicting version in an different directory (LD_LIBRARY_PATH will work, but you'd have to add it to a global config file or set it every time you wanted to use the new library)

Wim Sturkenboom · 01-27-2005, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by __J
generally its library.major_number.minor_number.patch_level symlinked to library.major_number

those two do look the same. generally, if your gonna upgrade a package, you should replace the original package instead of installing a conflicting version in an different directory (LD_LIBRARY_PATH will work, but you'd have to add it to a global config file or set it every time you wanted to use the new library)

I will replace the original; this was just to try (like to be carefull). What I see from the listings, both seem to be 0.1.4 (so even the patch level is the same according to your info). And that is what I don't understand: why doesn't the new one have 0.1.8 in its name? If names don't give the answer, which other way is there.

BTW The scanner is now working (after upgrading to a later sane-version with niash-backend support). This also implies that the libusb is at least 0.1.5 (as required by the niash backend).