Presently I use Mandrake 8.1 and I have been trying to install just a single software from source for hours know.
I did not have the development tools, so I installed gcc, make, etc. and hopefully all their dependencies, yet I get the error message:
makeinfo ... missing
and the compilation process stops.
In which rpm can makeinfo be found? I do not find any rpms on my Mandrake installation CD with such a name.
Actually, there was one single library rpm (I do not remember its name) which I did not find anywhere on the installation CD, although it was required by the binutils rpm.
So, what to do when the installation CD does not contain a required library?
I must mention here that I never had such problems with SuSe 6.4, where I could easily find and install all rpms required for compilation with yast.
My other questions:
During my long-lasting struggle with Mandrake I suppose that I became an expert in using the rpm manager, yet I wonder why
- I can no longer install rpms directly from the installation CD (nowadays I have to copy them to the HDD first)
- why are there rpms that are not shown in the tree view of the rpm manager but show up in the list view of the same source
- why are there rpms which are actually neither shown in the list of installed rpms, nor in the list of rpms available for installation, although they are obviously on the source media
I do not only have difficulties with the installation from source, but also with the installation of rpms coming from other source, too.
In general, why should things go this way:
- when I try to install just a singe software from rpm I am directed to install 5 other rpms first, to fulfil the dependencies,
- those 5 rpms direct me to install 25 other rpms first
- I end up with some 125 missing rpms, most of which cannot be found on any installation media I have.
Am I to hang all day on the Internet hounting for missing rpms just because I wanted to install one single software?
Please help me at least with my first question, because I am presently completely unable to install any software from source (and you know what that means in Linux).
Thank you in advance!

if you mess around with device mountpoints and stuff, the urpmi data sources can get a bit wonky. load rpmdrake and redfine your sources and you should be fine. then just search by file for makeinfo (it's in the texinfo rpm)

rpmfind is another really easy way to find where files come from.

as far as dependencies, all deps from packages on the cd's are defintely are on the cd's. guarenteed. if it can't find the cd sources tho, naturally it's gonna scerw up

Thanks for the textinfo.rpm tip, it worked.
But I still cannot use the compiler, as I get the following error message:

Checking whether the C compiler (gcc) works ... no
Configure: Error: installation or configuration problem: C compiler cannot create executables

I tried to remove and reinstall gcc and all -devel- rpms to find out if there is still a dependency problem, but I got no error messages.
Something is still wrong. What to do next?

I still cannot overcome the problem with the compiler (or with me), please help me!

check the contents of configure.log to see why it failed.

I still cannot use the compiler, please help me!

well what ARE the errors???? c'mon bud, work with me here....

Please ignore my second request for help, it was only due to some failures of technical nature:



My first request and your answer were not visible when I came back here to check this thread, in spite that I used the refresh button in Opera. So I sent the request again. Just then my first message and your answer were shown up. Afterwards, I failed to delete the second request: I clicked to the Edit button here; the message was shown up for editing; checked the delete checkbox; then I was told that I have no right to delete the message.



So, as you see, I could not check your second advise, yet, first I have to do that.



Thank you



(P.S.

As for the error message, I already mentioned it before, it is as follows:



Checking whether the C compiler (gcc) works ... no

Configure: Error: installation or configuration problem: C compiler cannot create executables

)