[SOLVED] How to know if your host Linux OS has got all the development tools needed for LFS.

HarryBoy · 11-17-2010, 06:27 AM

I'm just starting on my journey to build a LFS OS.

I have been using Fedora linux for a while now and I have not got to grips with it so I feel the best way to learn is to build by own version.

OK, the first page of the LFS manual tells me:

Quote:

The LFS system will be built by using an already installed Linux distribution (such as Debian, Mandriva, Red Hat, or SUSE). This existing Linux system (the host) will be used as a starting point to provide necessary programs, including a compiler, linker, and shell, to build the new system. Select the “development” option during the distribution installation to be able to access these tools.

I am using Fedora 10, I did not install it, so how do I know if these tools are available on my system? Where do I look?

tronayne · 11-17-2010, 07:02 AM

It's pretty typical (not just for LFS) that you'll need a C compiler, the make utility, autoconf utility, automake utility and a few others.

Simply open a console and use locate or whereis to see if they're on your system; e.g.,

Code:

prompt: whereis gcc
gcc: /usr/bin/gcc /usr/lib64/gcc /usr/X11R6/bin/gcc /usr/bin/X11/gcc /usr/X11/bin/gcc /usr/libexec/gcc /usr/man/man1/gcc.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/gcc.1.gz /usr/X11/man/man1/gcc.1.gz
prompt: whereis make
make: /usr/bin/make /usr/X11R6/bin/make /usr/bin/X11/make /usr/X11/bin/make /usr/man/man1/make.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/make.1.gz /usr/X11/man/man1/make.1.gz

You can also open a console at type the executable name and hit the carriage return; e.g.,

Code:

prompt: gcc
gcc: no input files
prompt: make
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found.  Stop.

If you don't have those, you don't have the "development" packages (don't know what that's called by Fedora) and you'll need to install the "development tools."

Hope this helps some.

crts · 11-17-2010, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryBoy

I'm just starting on my journey to build a LFS OS.

I have been using Fedora linux for a while now and I have not got to grips with it so I feel the best way to learn is to build by own version.

OK, the first page of the LFS manual tells me:

I am using Fedora 10, I did not install it, so how do I know if these tools are available on my system? Where do I look?

Hi,

in a previous thread you were already pointed to the LFS stable book edition. Did you read it? I mean especially this part:
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/.../hostreqs.html

Run the script from that page on your host and it will check the versions of your system. Then you can compare the output with the requirements listed a couple of lines earlier.

One more thing is, many distros will require you to install some additional *-dev packages if you want to compile software on your system. I am not sure if this is also necessary on fedora. Check your software installer if it gives you the option to install *-dev packages.

HarryBoy · 11-17-2010, 07:41 AM

Thanks to both of you, very helpful indeed