[SOLVED] Not able to run 'links -g <URL>

honeybadger · 07-08-2012, 04:37 PM

I installed Slackware 13.37 and everything was working fine but then due to some (stupid) reasons I reinstalled. I installed some software from source (mainly tripwire and so on). But apart from that I installed nothing else.
This was a simillar configration I had and everything was working properly.
But now when I run links -g <URL> it shuts down with the error 'svgalib: Cannot open /dev/mem' (?!?!?). Are you running this program as root or suid-root.
Any pointers would be appereciated.
Thanks for reading.

silendo · 07-08-2012, 04:56 PM

The ".links" there is in the home directory? I think that this can be the main problem

honeybadger · 07-08-2012, 06:15 PM

Sorry that did not work. I looked at the .links directory but it only contained bookmarks.
Anyway I deleted the directory and but still the same error.

Any more suggestions?

I looked up the permissions of links. It seems ok (0755). I ran 'ldd /usr/bin/links' and it has /usr/lib/libvga.so.1.

Hope this helps.

volkerdi · 07-08-2012, 07:35 PM

Were you previously using a framebuffer but no longer are? As far as I'm aware, what you're describing has been normal for non-framebuffer "links -g" since the libvga helper kernel module went away (it's no longer supported for anything close to a recent kernel).

honeybadger · 07-09-2012, 02:27 AM

Framebuffers - thats it.
I am dual booting with BT and so I had some parameters passed to grub to make my screen resolution 800x600 (got bad eyesight. Made the grub parameters to default and everything is working fine.
Thanks a lot for the obervation volkerdi.

ottavio · 07-09-2012, 01:57 PM

You've marked this thread as solved but I have exactly the same error, the difference with me is that this happens only in X, not when run from pure console, in which case it's fine. What should I look at? I have removed the ~.links directory. My system is 13.37 32-bit. Thanks

EDIT: I have vga=default in lilo.conf if this can help.

ponce · 07-09-2012, 02:20 PM

excerpts from "man links"

Quote:

-g Run Links in graphics mode. If not given, Links will run in text mode. Running in graphics mode means that Links will probe all compiled-in graphics devices and run on the first found. If none found, links will not run in text mode. This option works only if --enable-graphics was given to ./configure.
...
-driver <driver name>
Graphics driver to use. Drivers are: x, svgalib, fb, directfb, pmshell, atheos. List of drivers will be shown if you give it an unknown driver. Available drivers depend on your operating system and available libraries.

Code:

$ links -g -driver x http://www.google.com
Unknown graphics driver x.
The following graphics drivers are supported:
fb, svgalib

when you run links -g in console it probably works for you because you have a framebuffer console, so links uses the fb driver.
if you launch X and you don't run it using the framebuffer driver, the -g mode can't work because svgalib isn't supported and the framebuffer is not available.

ottavio · 07-09-2012, 02:29 PM

Ah ok, if I put together this statement:

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkerdi

the libvga helper kernel module went away (it's no longer supported for anything close to a recent kernel).

with this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponce

the -g mode can't work because svgalib isn't supported and the framebuffer is not available.

it's all clear now.

Soderlund · 11-19-2012, 08:53 AM

Just thought I'd add, if anyone's struggling with this:

Rebuild links from the official sources, but change the -without-x ./configure option to -with-x in the links.SlackBuild. Then it works in X with -g.