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Old 08-20-2003, 09:16 AM   #1
tekn0phile
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Distribution: SuSE 8.2 PRO
Posts: 22

Rep: Reputation: 15
Unhappy Linux faith shaken !!!


I've decided to try SuSE 8.2 Pro since I kept reading how good a Linmux distro it is. So for the past 4 months I have been heavily RTFMing in order to get the machine running but the following things occur:

1. I cannot get ANY program to actually give a battery reading for my laptop. I've tried recompiling
the kernel, enabling ACPI and disabling APM ... but still nothing the klaptop utility shows me
0% charging. But it correctly identifies when I plug in the AC adaptor or remove it.

2. I cannot install any programs !!! I mean all documents on the internet say:
Simple. You just ./configure then make then make install (always having the root access)!!
Well no it doesn't work that way on my machine. I always get an error:

a. Either the automake or autoconf are not installed (which they are)
b. Some library or QT is of a newer version than the one required
c. I seem to miss certain libraries that I have verified their existence in my system
d. Or I see loads of these:

make all-recursive
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8'
Making all in .
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all-am'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8'
Making all in gmodule
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/gmodule'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/gmodule'
Making all in gthread
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/gthread'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/gthread'
Making all in docs
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/docs'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/docs'
Making all in tests
make[2]: Entering directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/tests'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8/tests'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/tekno/Documents/pkgconfig-0.15.0/glib-1.2.8'

which althought does not say error anywhere does NOT install my application. Furthermore any application I install that uses X-windows ... after I install it I cannot find the icon. I have to search for the app and then make a link.

I mean this has been a very bumpy ride !

I honestly want to switch from Microsuck Windblows but I 'm afraid that the simplicity of doing things will be hard to part from. (despite the crashing and security occurences)

If anyone can restore my faith to Linux ... please do !

Thanks for any answers in advance
tekn0phile
 
Old 08-20-2003, 09:47 AM   #2
bitpicker
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Germany
Distribution: Xubuntu, Ubuntu
Posts: 416
Blog Entries: 14

Rep: Reputation: 35
Well, installation from generic source files isn't very simple for the newbie. I've just been through my first of those, too. That's what you get when there is no fixed state for your OS. A Windows programmer knows what his clients have, but if you program for Linux you never know which kernel and which other important files people have. You cannot always include everything which may be needed by anyone or you end up with your own distro.

But I believe there will be pre-packaged versions available for your distro. I'm using Mandrake 9.1 myself, so I usually look for a RPM file built for that. Suse IIRC doesn't use rpm but there will be some sort of package manager for it, too. You can probably find a list of FTP servers on the Suse site where you can find pre-packaged software.

Robin
 
Old 08-20-2003, 10:12 AM   #3
adz
Senior Member
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney
Distribution: Debian, FreeBSD
Posts: 1,713

Rep: Reputation: 53
Once you have done that, get yourself a utility called "apt-get". This is the best thing that has ever happened to linux package management. It started out on debian but has been ported to other distros. Once you get it you'll never look back. Concentrate your efforts on getting apt-get to install (from an rpm not from source) and you'll find your life getting easier considerably.
 
Old 08-20-2003, 11:49 AM   #4
tekn0phile
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Distribution: SuSE 8.2 PRO
Posts: 22

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Thanks both ...

1. There are rpms for SuSe. When I was using Mandrake 8/8.2/9 I had no problems. just got the rpms and that's it.

The only thing is that I cannot understand the output of those messages make spits out.

Why can't I use the ACPI on my laptop ? Any ideas ...

PS I think I'm gonna re-install !!

Thanks to everybody ...
 
Old 08-20-2003, 12:08 PM   #5
slakmagik
Senior Member
 
Registered: Feb 2003
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 4,113

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Ported to other distros?

Here we go again. It almost is porting to another distro. Unix already disintegrated once. I don't think all the POSIX in the world's going to keep it from at least *practically* happening again.

Back on point, maybe Suse puts stuff in weird places. Look into the options you can pass to point the compile process to the right locations. Also, maybe stick with Suse rpms. And I don't know of anything outside of Windows that puts an icon for a freshly installed app on a desktop. That's just not the way it works: no icons, no spyware, either. But I dunno - my wm doesn't even *have* desktop icons.

On that last one, try 'su' and do 'make install' if you're leaving that out. Unless I'm misunderstanding the 'all-recursive', all that does is compile the thing.
 
  


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