I'm trying to compile Gnucash 1.8.11 and I have installed many needed packages from linuxpackages.net. However, when trying to create the make file, I get this error:

checking for main in -lgal... no
configure: error: gal library not found. See the README and config.log for more info.

What exactly is the gal library and where can I get it? Also, is there any specific version that I need for gnucash 1.8.11 when using Slackware 10.2? Thanks!

i think you need the gnoime-devel packages if your compiling gnucash. they should be on your cds under gnome development, or else can be downloaded from ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/etc, etc

Or do a google for libgal, but make sure its for the same version of gnome that your using

Slackware 10.2 doesn't have gnome. I believe what you do is install individual packages from the 1.x series of gnome, which I have done. So I'm not sure which version of gnome-devel I would use since I don't have gnome at all.

if you have some diskspace for it, just install the gnome packages from Slack 10.1.
you won't need all of it, maybe there's a -libs package that comes with the headers.

egag

The following are the packages that I have installed prior to trying to compile gnucash from source:

bonobo1x-1.0.20-i686-1jto.tgz
gnome-print0x-0.36-i686-1jto.tgz
libxml1x-1.8.17-i686-1jto.tgz
control-center1x-1.0.2-i686-1jto.tgz
gtkhtml1x-1.0.2-i686-1jto.tgz
oaf0x-0.6.10-i686-1jto.tgz
g-wrap-1.3.4-i686-4jto.tgz
guppi0x-0.40.3-i686-1jto.tgz
slib-3a1-noarch-2jto.tgz
gal0x-0.19.2-i686-1jto.tgz
libIDL0x-0.6.8-i686-1jto.tgz
gdk-pixbuf-0.22.0-i686-4jto.tgz
libghttp1x-1.0.9-i686-1jto.tgz
gnome-libs1x-1.4.1.7-i686-2jto.tgz
libglade0x-0.17-i686-1jto.tgz

Notice this one: gal0x-0.19.2-i686-1jto.tgz

Is that the one the error was referring to?

hmm...that one is not in gnome ( from 10.1; i don't have it ).

just a thought: did you run " ldconfig " ( as root ) after installing the libs ?
also, look where those libs are installed. ( is that a normal dir ? )
and what does the config-log say about it ?

egag

yupe, if you DO have gnome installed, these packeages/libs should be in /opt/gnome/lib or /opt/gnome/share or /opt/gnome/bin Some distros use /usr/gnome/..... but not too many. ldconfig will link these packages against what they need to be linked