Looking for someone with experience installing tcl/tk
or
experience with X-windows dependencies



Trying to install tk8.4.11 on RedHat i386 system

the tk 'make' claims it cannot find X11/Xlib.h

X-windows works on this computer

nevertheless, I enter dependency hell while trying to install the xorg-x11-devel-6.8.2-31 rpm

and get to the point where xorg-x11-libs is required.

1.) How can my xwindows work without the libraries?
2.) Do I really need to install all these rpms when tk8.4.11/xlib/X11/Xlib.h already exists in the installation directory?

the line in the tk.h code says: # include <X11/Xlib.h>

can I direct tk.h to the tk8.4.11/xlib/X11/Xlib.h in the installation directory? I'm not a C++ programmer.


Thanks for your help.

"Trying to install tk8.4.11 on RedHat i386 system"

What version of Red Hat are you using?

"the tk 'make' claims it cannot find X11/Xlib.h
X-windows works on this computer
nevertheless, I enter dependency hell while trying to install the xorg-x11-devel-6.8.2-31 rpm
and get to the point where xorg-x11-libs is required."

I think that the version of tk that you are trying to install is dependent on a newer version of X Window than what you have installed.

"1.) How can my xwindows work without the libraries?"

X Window has been rewritten lately. Previous versions of X Window had a different library structure.

"2.) Do I really need to install all these rpms when tk8.4.11/xlib/X11/Xlib.h already exists in the installation directory?
the line in the tk.h code says: # include <X11/Xlib.h>
can I direct tk.h to the tk8.4.11/xlib/X11/Xlib.h in the installation directory? I'm not a C++ programmer."

These questions will probably disappear after you sort through your version mismatch.

---------------------------
Steve Stites

linux version 2.4.21-32.0.1.EL
I think the redhat is enterprise edition 3

Would it be reasonable, in your opinion, to go back to an older version of tcl/tk instead of fiddling with my established x-windows? Is this a good strategy in general?

Thanks,
--Kyle

"Would it be reasonable, in your opinion, to go back to an older version of tcl/tk instead of fiddling with my established x-windows? Is this a good strategy in general?"

In general when I run into a problem like the latest version of tcl/tk needing to have some dependencies upgraded I upgrade everything necessary to get tcl/tk installed. However having to upgrade X Window is so laborious that I would find it easier to upgrade the entire Red Hat release than to try to upgrade X Window on a running system.

If you don't want to upgrade X Window or upgrade Red Hat then the easiest thing to do would be to install the version of tcl/tk that is on your Red Hat install CD. That will be an older version of tcl/tk but it is 100% compatible with what you already have installed.

--------------------------
Steve Stites

I ended up reinstalling tcl through ActiveTcl, which supposedly includes tk...

In any case, my final goal was to get VMD fully functional, which was possible on my machine after installing ActiveTcl8.4.11.0 and then vmd-1.8.3 binary from the Illinois ks.uiuc.illinois.edu website.

Problem solved, thanks for the advice.

--Kyle