I'm trying to run the font configuration utility in the KDE control panel. It tells me that it can't access libfontenc.so.1 ... and no wonder, slocate shows this doesn't exist on my system, I've got libfontenc.a however.

It seems that this comes from XFree86 stuff. I found a reference to it in a SUSE xfree86 -libs package , see http://www.suse.co.uk/uk/private/pro...ibs-32bit.html

However, checking out the XFree86-devel package on Slackware ( ./slackware/x/xfree86-devel-4.3.0-i386-1.tgz ) shows that this file isn't in the package.

What's going on!?

grep -i libfontenc /var/log/packages/*
--xfree86-devel-4.3.0-i386-1:usr/X11R6/lib/libfontenc.a
cd /usr/X11R6/lib
su
ld --whole-archive -share -o libfontenc.so.1 libfontenc.a
ldconfig

That should fix it

I dont know what version of kde you are using, but the more recent slackware packages of kde seem to rely on a later version of Xfree than you mention.


xfree86-devel-4.3.0-i386-1.tgz does not contain libfontenc.so.1 as you say, however
xfree86-4.4.0-i486-3.tgz and later, does. (Note Slack seems to hold this library in the main xfree package, not the -devel package)

So I think your Xfree and kde are out of sync. Have you upgraded kde? If so, was it a slack package? Your solution will depend on how you feel about upgrading XFree, I think.

I am running the Slackware current version, and there are other problems with the kde font installer, which I seem to have fixed, but I wont trouble you with that stuff unless you request it....

Keefaz ... that did it, thanks!

Could you (or anyone) explain what I just did? It seems that I've repackaged a library and made ldconfig aware of it ...?! Is that all there is too it.


Tobyl, thanks for the tip ... I did upgrade KDE and I don't recall upgrading XFree, I'm not against it, just that I'm on 56k dialup. When you say "how you feel about upgrading XFree" do you mean because of the licensing issues or because it's risky?


Thanks both for helping to keep me slacking,

pbhj

Well I am not a shared library specialist at all But as I have understand *.a files are special archive files containing a list of object code references and string messages (like error messages, version...) and ld --whole-archive will link them all to a -o output shared library

I meant that the later slack versions of kde seemed to require the later versions of XFree to work properly.
I was just trying to help you to get the various package releases 'in tune' with each other, however keefaz is one step ahead here, and found a simpler fix for your problem, especially as you don't want to spend time downloading stuff on 56k.

I haven't really got an issue with the licensing stuff, (who can complain when it is free?), but now that I am lucky enough to have a DSL connection, I enjoy keeping up to date with the current releases.

Glad your problem is sorted out,
Tobyl

Thanks Tobyl and Keefaz.