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How to install from source when there is no Configure/Makefile?

I'm assuming that src2pkg can accomplish this-or no?
If src2pkg can't then what is the operation to install an app from source that has no configure or make files?

Hi -

There's usually some kind of "readme.txt" ("README", "README.FIRST", "INSTALL.TXT", etc etc). Please look in the root directory for some kind of instructions.

But heck - there's usually a configure - and almost always at least a "makefile" with some kind of "all" default target. Apparently, for this particular package, there isn't.

Sooooooooooo ...

Q: What is the package?
Q: Where did you get it?
Q: What kind of system are you trying to build (and, presumably, install) it on?

TIA .. PSM

OK--I have Slackware 12.2 on my Toshiba Laptop w/160MB RAM and 4GB HD.
I am a fiction writer dabbling in beginner programming.
So, I installed basically everything needed (probably too much for a 4GB HD), and there are two programs I need and each has it's purpose.
The first is Gambas2, a Visual-BASIC-like programming language.
One of the programs created using Gambas2 is Writer's World Maker-a GUI "outliner" type tool for fiction writers.
I found a Gambas and it's depends at Slacky.eu, which included postgresql and unixdbc, among others.
The only depends for WWMKR is Gambas2.
So, now I can learn programming with Python, perl, ruby, php, HTML/XML, and Gambas2-which supports WWMKR-the program I wanna use for outlining stories.
Well, Gambas, etc installed fine, but when I went to install WWMKR there are no makefiles/configure,etc.
The catch is that by going into the WWMKR folder and executing the executable wwmkr.gambas, a GUI opens up!
So, is it that it doesn't need to be installed and I can place the folder somewhere and symlink it to a desktop icon or what?
There were a few options at the wwmkr website-I chose the source package-should I have chosen a different one?
Gambas2 ( http://gambas.sourceforge.net/ )
WWMKR ( http://www.wwmkr.com/ )
Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72 (Post 3476516)

How to install from source when there is no Configure/Makefile?

Read program documentation.

The download tells exactly what to do:
http://gambas.sourceforge.net/download.html

It also says there are binary slackware packages.

If you encounter any problems, the documentation page described how to come through:
http://gambasdoc.org/help/readme?view

I apologize-you misread it-Gambas installed fine-WWMKR has no readme, install, configure, makefile, etc in it's source pkg.
WWMKR will "play" out of it's folder via the executable "wwmkr.gambas".
So, the questions are-
1-Can wwmkr be installed without "readme, install.txt, make,etc"?
2-Can I just move the folder somewhere and make a symlink to the wwmkr.gambas executable?
Is a symlink what's needed to put an icon on the desktop?

OK-my bad-the GNU-Tools version has the config/makefiles-will this install to slackware 12.2?
what is gnu tools?

Update-I tried configure/make/make install with the auto-tools version of WWMKR-this is the term output-

Code:

root@b:~# cd /root/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37

root@b:~/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37# ./configure

checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/ginstall -c

checking whether build environment is sane... yes

checking for gawk... gawk

checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes

checking for gambas2 binaries... Ok

checking for gambas2 components path... Ok

checking for gb.qt component... Ok

checking for gb.form component... Ok

checking for gb.form.dialog component... Ok

checking for gb.qt.ext component... Ok

configure: creating ./config.status

config.status: creating Makefile

root@b:~/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37# make

Compiling wwmkr-qt project...

OK

root@b:~/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37# make install

make[1]: Entering directory `/root/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37'

Installing wwmkr-qt.gambas file in /usr/local/bin...

make[1]: Nothing to be done for `install-data-am'.

make[1]: Leaving directory `/root/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37'

Anyone know what that means??
is it installed?
it's not on the kde menu-how do I call it up?

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72 (Post 3476560)

OK-my bad-the GNU-Tools version has the config/makefiles-will this install to slackware 12.2?
what is gnu tools?

If you have all the dependencies taken care of it should work.

GNU provides free software. Linux distributions are more correctly called GNU/Linux but most people just call it Linux.

Go here for more details.

http://www.gnu.org/

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72 (Post 3476594)

Anyone know what that means??
is it installed?
it's not on the kde menu-how do I call it up?

The most important messages:

Code:

Compiling wwmkr-qt project...

OK



Installing wwmkr-qt.gambas file in /usr/local/bin...

So it's installed to /usr/local/bin

You can call the program directly on a command line, or in the Alt-F2 dialog.

I'd recommend you remove the software as installed above by running 'make uninstall'. Then build a package of it using src2pkg so you can handily remove or re-install it later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnashley (Post 3476726)

I'd recommend you remove the software as installed above by running 'make uninstall'. Then build a package of it using src2pkg so you can handily remove or re-install it later.

There's no need. It's a single file under /usr/local/bin. I believe that the /usr/local/* directories exist for this very reason.

Actually-no it did not install it to usr/local/bin. There is nothing in usr/local/bin.
I have no idea what happened or why it won't install?
What is the proper usage in this case for src2pkg?
src2pkg seems complicated, I tried reading the how-to but it is not so clear-why are there so many folders in the src2pkg?
Do I put the wwmkr folder into the src2pkg folder, vice-versa, or what?
Yes I read the txt files in src2pkg-kinda confusing...

OK-I installed src2pkg-everything went fine. I then ran "src2pkg --setup", again all went well.
Then I went to install...

Code:

root@b:~# cd /root/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/ww

mkr-qt-1.0.37

root@b:~/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0

.37# src2pkg -C wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto.tar.gz

Found source archive: wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto.tar.gz

Deleting old build files - Done

Creating working directories:

  PKG_DIR=/tmp/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-pkg-1

  SRC_DIR=/tmp/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-src-1

Unpacking source archive - Done

Correcting source permissions - Done

Checking for patches - None found

Found configure script -

Configuring sources using:

  CFLAGS=-O2 -march=i486 -mtune=i686 ./configure

--prefix=/usr

Configuration has been - Successful!

Compiling sources - Using: 'make'

Compiling has been - Successful!

Checking for 'install' rule - Okay

Checking for DESTDIR (or similar) support - Found

DESTDIR

Logging output to: SRC_DIR/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-make-in

stall.log

Installing using DESTDIR - Using:

  make DESTDIR=/tmp/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-pkg-1 in

stall

Warning! These sources have broken DESTDIR support

!

Warning! Makefile installs these files outside of                                                                          DESTDIR:

/usr/usr/bin/wwmkr-qt.gambas

Correcting DESTDIR errors - Done!

Processing package content:

Correcting package permissions - Done

Checking for standard documents - Done

Found empty documents - Removing zero-length files in DOC_DIR.

Creating slack-desc - From default text

Searching for links in PKG_DIR - None found

Rechecking package permissions - Done

Making installable package - Done

Package Creation - Successful! - Package Location:

/root/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-i486-1.tgz

.37# b:~/Desktop/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto/wwmkr-qt-1.0.

I then tried with the "source" wwmkr, the first one being the "autotools" version. The result..

Code:

root@b:~# cd /root/Desktop/gambas4goblin/wwmkr

root@b:~/Desktop/gambas4goblin/wwmkr# src2pkg -

C wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-tar.gz

Unrecognized option: wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-tar

.gz

root@b:~/Desktop/gambas4goblin/wwmkr# src2pkg -

C wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source.tar.gz

Found source archive: wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source.ta

r.gz

Creating working directories:

  PKG_DIR=/tmp/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-pkg-1

  SRC_DIR=/tmp/wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-src-1

Unpacking source archive - Done

Correcting source permissions - Done

Checking for patches - None found

Skipping configure_source -

Skipping compile_source -

FAILED!! No INSTALL_LINE given.

root@b:~/Desktop/gambas4goblin/wwmkr#

What am I doing wrong??

OK-I think it's installed...?
src2pkg put the "wwmkr-qt.gambas" in usr/usr/bin. clicking on it brings up the GUI-great!
I then copied the icon to the desktop-yes it works!
Now, where did src2pkg put the rest of the folder contents?
It must be installed 'cause I can call it up with # /usr/usr/bin/wwmkr-qt.gambas. -Right?
So, is everything ok, or what?
I cannot find the folder or it's contents-just the "Gambas executable"-wwmkr-qt.gambas.