Installing xfce from source. Do I need to uninstall the old version first?
 

Hi:
I run Slackware 12.0, which comes with with xfce 4.4.1, which I'm presently running. Now, I want to install xfce 4.10 (from source). Do I need to uninstall 4.4.1 first?

You won't be able to do what you want to do. Too many missing libraries.

Best bet to have Xfce 4.10 on your machine: install Slackware 14.0.

I'll give you this link, from a moment ago here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...6/#post4813532

I'll get you this link, from about a year ago:

http://connie.slackware.com/~rworkman/xfce-4.8/NOTES

These are Robby Workman's detailed notes for building Xfce 4.8.3 and its dependencies on a stock Slackware 13.37 system. Maybe you can figure out 4.10 on Slackware 12.0. If someone forced me to do that, I'd say give me a couple of weeks, but I can't promise you anything.

Well, keith-hedger, the poster in my link, made me look at it as a simple thing to do. I'm a bit confused now. I went to the xfce official site and they give detailed instructions to compile and install their latest version. I will have to do some research, although your words have certainly discouraged me.

Do you have any precise reason to remain with Slackware 12.0? (This is a real question, not a rhetorical one.)

I'm just asking, because in your case, installing Slackware 14.0 which already ships with a perfectly functional Xfce 4.10 out of the box would be the simple solution, adhering to the KISS principle. No hunting down dependencies, no compiling, no debugging, no testing. Just installing and using.

Compiling Xfce 4.10 on Slackware 12.0, on the other hand, would adhere to the KICK principle. Keep It Complicated Kiki. :D

The only reason is an old machine (Pentium III Tualatin processor, running @1100MHz, 256MB RAM). Some people in LQ have told me they have installed 12.0 in very old machines, but I think this would put me in the same case you are pointing out. Too complicated (that is, to put 14.0 into my machine). The burden for the machine is, like always, the damned GUI. But I depend on it for quite a few things.

To go back to the thread subject, suppose I have a package or a suite of packages called foo installed in my machine by my installation disk installer. And assume further the package has many dependences. I now want to go to aa newer version of foo. Should I uninstall the old version before installing the new one, or can I install directly above the old?

You certainly should uninstall the old one first. That's exactly what "upgradepkg" does for Slackware packages.

Removing a Slackware package with "removekg <package>" will remove only that package but no dependency as Slackware packages do not include information about dependencies, so it's safe to use that command.

<off topic>Meanwhile you could try Fluxbox</off topic>

But I'm installing from source, Didier.

I'll give it a try, thanks.

Even in that case you can use "removepkg" to remove the formerly installed Slackware package for a previous version.

If you intent to install from source, may be you could consider making yourself a Slackware package to ease further system maintenance. I can't remember now of an "how-to" about that but there certainly are some.

Thank you for your illustrative post and, yes, I think I know of an LQer who has made a program to make Slackware packages. It's in his signature.

Slackware 14.0 with Xfce 4.10 will run just fine on your PIII. Not enough to get whiplash, but it should be acceptable. RAM consumption on a Panasonic Toughbook with similar specs is 99 MB when the bare Xfce desktop is loaded without any apps launched.

Eventually, you might add another 256 MB RAM, which will make a huge difference.

Cheers,

Niki

This is very promising. Thanks a lot, kikinovak.

You're welcome.

I guess the Microsoft Windows universe is responsible for the misconception that every new release of an operating system needs you to throw away your existing hardware and buy something at least twice as powerful.

This is simply not true for Slackware. It may be true for recent versions of Ubuntu and the likes, though.

I'm becoming fond of your posts, Niki. I've just talked on the phone with a friend with tells me modern desktop machines need in excess of 2GB to run their software. Of course, he uses Ubuntu. And of course, the more modern a machine is, the less RAM it needs. By the way, Volkerdi gives 128MB of RAM as part of the hardware requirements.

I'd like to make you a question: one usually runs the setup program once the O.S. has finished booting from the installation disk. As the last step, setup asks you to configure the system (Configure option). And within the configuration, it finally gives the choice to install some services, such as HAL (the hardware abstraction layer), SSHD (secure login) and so on. How do I know which of them to choose and which not to select? If too many, less RAM. If too few, I may be lacking something I would not like to miss. Nowhere in the Slackware-HOWTO which comes with the installation disk is anything told about this! Could you give me some advice on this matter? Regards,

Enrique.