[SOLVED] ncurses-devel blocking me using make menuconfig

[frank56]

I have been running make menuconfig as root.. After the fact I found out that was not recommended. But when I tried to run make menuconfig I get an error.

$ usr/src/linux make menu config
*** Uable to find ncurses libraries or the
*** required header files
***make menu config requires the the ncurses libraries
***
***Install ncurses (ncurses-devel) and try again.
***
make:[1]: *** [scripts/kconfig/dochecklxdidalog] Error 1
make:: *** [menuconfig' Error 2

I emerge ncurses-devel but package could not be found.

I did emerge ncurses and it installed. I googled and others had same problem but no solution.

[reed9]

From what I understand, Gentoo doesn't split their ncurses package into a -devel package and regular package like some distros. Everything you need should be in sys-libs/ncurses.

The error is from menuconfig, hence the erroneous package name.

Check that the file /usr/include/ncurses.h exists.

[frank56]

From what I understand, Gentoo doesn't split their ncurses package into a -devel package and regular package like some distros. Everything you need should be in sys-libs/ncurses.

The error is from menuconfig, hence the erroneous package name.

Check that the file /usr/include/ncurses.h exists.

I have since read other posts that say make menuconfig should be run as root. So, I am not sure what the right answer is. I did not get the error message from root prompt. Frank

[reed9]

Yes, it should be run as root. So you're saying it works doing so?

[frank56]

Yes, it should be run as root. So you're saying it works doing so?

Yes, I just repeated the make menuconfig both as root, with success and with normal user, with ncurses *** unable to find the ncurses libraries etc etc. I am running x86 machine with kernel 2.6.36-r8. I got side tracked by I think a 2007 FAQ kernel building guide. Which may be obsolete for todays packages. I guess its let the googler beware.