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

brianL · 03-16-2009, 07:03 AM

That: wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-i486-1.tgz, should have been installed like any other Slackware package:

Code:

installpkg wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-auto-i486-1.tgz

linus72 · 03-16-2009, 08:26 AM

UPDATE-OK, I have now transferred unixdbc, postgresql, gambas2, and wwmkr-qt to the laptop via USB.
Installed src2pkg, then installed unixdbc, Now installing postgresql-Wow-it took it over a 1/2 hour to configure/make/make-install on the laptop-is this normal for some apps to take a long time to install?

linus72 · 03-16-2009, 08:32 AM

Actually I was following Gnashley's advice that it is better to install packages via src2pkg vs installpkg-

Code:

 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.

brianL · 03-16-2009, 08:49 AM

src2pkg makes a package, installpkg installs it, removepkg removes it.

linus72 · 03-16-2009, 09:06 AM

Correct-that is what I did-first I tried installing the gnu autotools version of wwmkr-and it said-

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'

It did not install-as no wwmkr-qt.gambas file could be found in /usr/local/bin.
I then used src2pkg to do the wwmkr.tar.gz-and it installed correctly using./configure/make/makeinstall.
I also used kpakg to install the .tgz that src2pkg had made-also fine.
When I tried to use ./configure/make/make install on the gnu-tools version-it failed.
So-src2pkg worked on the gnu-tools version of wwmkr-qt, whereas unpacking the tar.gz and doing ./configure/make/make install did not work.
However I never used installpkg on the src2pkg-do I need to do installpkg after make install?

gnashley · 03-16-2009, 10:02 AM

linus72, since you've e-mailed me, I'll answer your questions in a little more detail there...

brianL · 03-16-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

However I never used installpkg on the src2pkg-do I need to do installpkg after make install?

No, you don't use installpkg if you do the ./configure, make, make install routine. Only if you're installing actual Slackware packages, which is what src2pkg produces.

linus72 · 03-16-2009, 11:26 AM

Thank you Gnashley for the great advice. I did just as you said in the email-

Code:

 There is one problem witht he package that src2pkg created for you and that is the path /usr/usr/.... which is not correct. This sometimes happens because some sources don't use the DESTDIR variable correctly. I'd suggest you remove the installed package and rebuild the package from sources as before, but add the JAIL otpion: src2pkg -C -JAIL wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-tar.gz
Actuall, I see there is another problem there with the 'source' being in the name, so you really shoudl create the package overriding the 'guessed' name and version:
src2pkg -C -JAIL -n='wwmkr-qt' -v='1.0.37' wwmkr-qt-1.0.37-source-tar.gz
That should then gice you a fully correct package with the binary in /usr/bin

Everything installed fine-no errors-However, what must I do to get it to show up on the KDE/XFCE4 menu?
Otherwise I have to call it up from the term or copy the wwmkr-qt.gambas executable to the Desktop-which is what I have done.
It also created a folder "wwmkr-qt" in /root/-I believe this is the project folder.
So, thanks Gnashley!
Now I have a challenge that's stumping me-
I tried to install this ap-Ledit
( http://www.sophists.com/Led/LedIt/ )
this is what happened-

Code:

oot@b:~/Desktop/abi/b# src2pkg -C -JAIL -n='Ledit!' -v='3.0.1' http://www.sophists.com/Led/LedIt/Downloads/Install_LedIt_Linux_3.0.1.tar.gz
Notice - Source name contains capital letters.
Notice - Alternate Name contains capital letters.
A better name for Ledit!  might be:  ledit!
Resetting version number - Using: 3.0.1
Resetting package name - Using: Ledit!
Found source archive: Install_LedIt_Linux_3.0.1.tar.gz
Creating working directories:
   PKG_DIR=/tmp/Ledit!-3.0.1-pkg-1
   SRC_DIR=/tmp/Ledit!-3.0.1-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.

I also tried other methods-none worked-any ideas?

tuxdev · 03-16-2009, 11:39 AM

This is a binary tarball with an install script, but not one which src2pkg already recognizes as such. You need -i='./UNIXInstall.sh'. Also, like the src2pkg points out to you, slackware packages don't use capital letters (they also don't use punctuation, but that's something uncommon that src2pkg doesn't warn you about.. yet).

gnashley · 03-16-2009, 11:52 AM

That looks like it is probably not a source archive -the 'install' part probably means it is an archive with a pre-compiled binary and an install.sh script. While it is usually possible to create packages from this typ of archive using src2pkg, it would be better to use the source archive, if available.
As far as getting a menu-entry in KDE for the other one, I have no idea as I d not use KDE or even install it. Hopefully, someone else will chip in with an answer for that.

Okay, I just checked this Ledit! program it is a closed-source application -that is you can only get pre-compiled binaries and not the sources. I'm pretty sure you can find an open-source editor for linux which will offer the same or similar features -there are hundreds of open-source editors out there. I just checked out the Ledit program -it is very old and is unlikely to work correctly on a modern system it was last updated in 2002 and was compiled for use with redhat-6.1.
It also has a really bad installer script which only does half the job correctly and then creates some *weird* loactions. My best suggestion is that you create a new thread asking for ecommendations for a modern editor which meets your needs -if you tell what you want to do with it you're bound to get lots of suggestions. Myself, I use the SciTE editor for most work with C files or shell scripts. If you do a lot of editing of html or other types of files, you might want something else.

bgeddy · 03-16-2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Everything installed fine-no errors-However, what must I do to get it to show up on the KDE/XFCE4 menu?

Well I only use KDE so don't know about XFCE. The way I always do this is just to use KDE menu item Settings->Menu Editor and use the tool to add the program to the menu ,(with File->New Item), then File->Save.