Hi,

I'm running SW 12.1. Unfortunately, there seems to be a few problems with the LyX SlackBuild.

At the SlackBuild.org web-site, the lyx.SlackBuild requests the bunny-zipped file for lyx, not the gunzipped file. No problem, I just downloaded the bunny-zipped file 1.4.5.1 from the lyx web-site. The install seemed to go OK.

But, now I've having issues working in LyX. I'm able to create and save a a .lyx file, but when I try to export to ps or pdf, part of the file is dropped. I only get two of approximately three pages to convert. The rest just disappears. Yet the original .lyx file remains complete. I've tried saving, renaming, etc. I also cannot print from LyX, even when manually entering the path to my printer. KJobViewer is empty. However, when I export to a plain text file, the whole thing is there.

Btw, I also posted to the Lyx Forum. But, on closer thought, this seems like it might more likely be an issue with the SlackBuild.

Thanks,
-Joe G.

I am running LyX 1.6.0 on Slackware 12.1 that I built with the 1.5.4 slackbuild by just changing the version number (as far as I remember). I am using the qt4 slackbuild.

I find it much more 'stable' than the earlier LyX's which I used mostly under Mandriva.

With Slackware 12.1 and LyX 1.6.0 I have been a very happy camper.

Not sure what your problems are with the 1.4.5.1 version but if there is no reason not to build 1.6 then you would probably be ahead of the game with it rather than troubleshooting 1.4.5.1.

I know this does not directly answer your question - but consider it as a quick and easy solution and upgrade.

Hi astrogeek!

I'm running the default qt 3.3 that installed with 12.1. If I go to qt 4, won't that break KDE 3.5.9 or maybe other apps?

If not, I'll upgrade.

Thanks for the quick reply,
-Joe

I just checked...

QT 4 can coexist with Qt3.3.

Upgrading now

Thanks,
-Joe

Hi Joe!

If you build Qt4 using the build script from Slackbuilds.org it will co-exist with the native Qt3 package that comes with Slackware. So everything else continues to work as normal.

But the LyX 1.5 or 1.6 package does conflict with LyX 1.4 so you will need to removepkg lyx-1.4 before installing the 1.6.

I just looked at my own build notes and I didn't leave myself any notes beyond changing the version in the slackbuild so it was a clean build.

If you have any problems let me know and I'll put my own copy where you can find it if you like.

Glad to meet another LyX user - sometimes I get lonesome

[EDIT]
HA! Looks like our posts crossed on the wire...
Qt4 is a big build so have a cup of your beverage of choice, I'll check in after the movie.
[/EDIT]

Hi astrogeek!

I'm going to start another thread about LyX. I don't seem to be able to get the SlackBuild to install.

I love Lyx, too. I'm taking night school classes and LyX is a real time saver. Until I started using LyX, I never realized just how much time I was wasting on formatting, etc.

Hello Joe!

I am not sure I understand what you mean that SlackBuild will not install. Try to tell me what you are doing and maybe I can make it easier for you, having been down this road.

Yep - LyX is a great tool and timesaver! I use it mostly for producing PDF documentation and such, but also for PS output for printing.

If you have used 1.4 or earlier then you will probably love the UI changes in 1.6 - mostly familiar but many better way of doing things too!

Well, first Qt4 gave me a problem. I installed the SlackBuild, but I noticed that it was hanging for a very long time and not doing anything. Then I noticed that I had to accept a license agreement. I typed in the char 'y' and a few minutes later, it continued compiling. Then, I went to sleep. The next morning, an infinite column of 'y's was printing out. I killed the processes from 'top'. Then, I installed Qt4 with pkgtool. All seemed OK.

I uninstalled the LyX SlackBuild that used Qt3.

Then I downloaded LyX 1.6.1 and modified the SlackBuild script to use that version. The SlackBuild seemd to run OK. When I 'cd /tmp' and started pkgtool, there was no .tgz package for LyX. I verified by browsing to /tmp with Konqueror. However, there was a package created in '/tmp/SBo'.

I tried again with LyX 1.6.0; Same thing.

I uninstalled Qt4 with pkgtool and reran the Qt4 SlackBuild without hitting 'y'. Then pkgtool to install.

I then repeated the above steps to try to install Lyx 1.6.1 and 1.6.0.
Again, no .tgz package in /tmp. I gave up on the SlackBuilds.

I uninstalled Qt4 again.

I googled "LyX Slackware".
Then I downloaded trhe version of LyX specifically meant for Slackware 'lyx-1.4.4-i486-1rbs.tgz' from
<http://wiki.lyx.org/LyX/Download>.

This version seems to work OK.

Now I'm back to my original problem. But, I've posted to a LyX mailing list and hopefully I'll be able to get this resolved.

Thank you for your efforts. Maybe I'm meant to stop using LyX

Thanks,
-Joe

Hello Joe,

Sorry to be so long responding, I started two earlier responses and was terminally interrupted both times before I finished. I'll keep this one shorter...

I am a little confused by your description of your build experience with Qt4 and LyX 1.6, but I suspect that results mostly from a difference in our vocabularies. As a result I am unsure whether you actually successfully built Qt4 or not. So I think I would suggest that you start from scratch, rebuild and install Qt4, then rebuild and install LyX 1.6.

Hey, anybody going to night school has free time on their hands, right?

I also tend to work almost exclusively through a terminal so I'll give my commands accordingly.

First, to build Qt4, confirm that you have the Slack build from SBo here. Untar it and cd into the resulting directory.

Download or move the Qt4 tarball into that directory (URL is in Slackbuild, or get tarball here).

Then as root remove any existing qt4 package from /tmp/, then...
Try to do this when you have time to stay up for it to complete in case there are any errors. Particularly you want to see the line that tells you it is gzipping the package. If it completes then you will have a good Qt4 package. (BTW, you should NOT have to type 'yes' to accept a license - the slackbuild script will do that for you). This takes about an hour on my 1.7ghz laptop.

Finally, as root...
At this point you should have a clean new Qt4 system, and that should not affect anything else on your system (unless you have other Qt4 apps).

Now, follow the same basic series of steps for LyX. Be sure you have the right SBo script, get it here.

Untar and cd into resulting directory. Edit the lyx_qt4.SlackBuild script and set it for the version of LyX you want to use (ie, just change the version number as I recall). In case you are in question about the LyX source, the one I built from is here, I know it builds OK.

Now, as root remove any existing /tmp/lyx.. package, then...
Be sure to do this also at a time when you can keep an eye on it until it completes. Look for the 'gzipping package' line when it finishes. You should then have a good LyX package in /tmp/...

Install it as root with...
You should then have the latest, greatest working LyX install going!

If either package fails to complete building please post whatever messages it gives.

This assumes only a full install of Slackware 12.1 and requires no additional packages so there should be no dependency problems other than the Qt4 dependency of Lyx.

Good luck, let me know if you have any problems.

Hi astrogeek,

WOW!! My goodness! Thank you so much for the very detailed instructions! I've used SlackBuilds before, so I am familiar with them. But, I appreciate you idiot-proofing this for me.

I cleared out /tmp before beginning. I also used the links you provided.

I have the full install of SW 12.1 completely upgraded with slackpkg.

I ran into an error with Qt4. I used the SBo script from the link you provided. I then untarred it and cd'ed to the directory. I then downloaded the Qt4 tarball (from the link you provided) into the directory. Then, just to be safe, I cut and pasted the command you posted to run the script. All seemed to go OK; then there was an error:

Never mind. It appears that I'm having a problem downloading the full archive. I finally got the full archive to download and IO'm runningn the SlackBuild script now.

HA! No problem - but beware idiot-proofing performed by an idiot!

I just thought I'd try to be as explicit as possible and still brief, and take nothing for granted, which is how I build most of my own iron-jawed traps!

Hope it builds and installs OK. I have been using LyX to make a proposal on a project today and have refreshed my appreciation of what a great tool it is!

Let me know how it works out for you - hopefully good!

I ran into the same problem. Here's output for the /tmp directory and then the /tmp/SBo directory:

These are approximately the same colors that Konsole displayed.

I'm not getting a lyx-<version>.tgz archive under /tmp.

(Maybe you underestimated my degree of idiocy )

Sorry,
-Joe

I decided to just try the old way...

cd directory
./configure
make
make install

It seems to be Ok except for two issues...

LyX cannot find my printer, even when I manually add the path.

And, I'm having the same issue converting the .lyx document to .pdf. It only converts part of the file.

Haha! It wasn't your degree of idiocy I was commenting on, hope you didn't take it that way!

OK, so you should have a good Qt4 package, and you didn't say, but I assume you installed it before trying to build Lyx - just to be sure.

Obviously you did not get a Lyx package to build, did you get any error messages before it completed?

At this point we need to find out why the lyx build did not complete and that comes down to baby-sitting the build process to see what messages come across the screen. Surely you did not get the 'gzipping package' message when it finished... I hope...

That doesn't take too long, grab a soda and listen to some music...