Dependencies, Kernel configurations, and others

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05-24-2005
pandorazbox

Dependencies, Kernel configurations, and others

I have a few questions I decided to roll up into one thread. I went searching through the Slackware Linux Help file for hours and through some of the other linux forums. I want to install ATI drivers, and hear they are terrible to setup. I've looked online and found an ATI driver install how-to, but it talks about kernel configurations and setting it up according to the manual. I have no clue what this means...haha. I'm pretty new to the Linux world, and this kernel stuff is totally new to me. I'm a Windows application engineer, so Windows is something I know of extremely well. Can anyone explain to me what or how to configure the kernel?

Second question: I was looking into compiling various packages, and they all say they have dependencies. Such as glibc, svgalib, etc. How in the world do I set up these dependencies? I was reading somewhere about doing a 'ln' command, but I don't know if this is right. I was trying to install Idesk for Fluxbox under Slackware, but I'm having problems installing the package. It fails with the install when I do a 'make' then 'make install'. So I'm guessing I don't have the dependencies set up correctly.

Third question: Anyone use idesk and rox? Compiling and installing packages are complicated in Linux, as you almost have to compile code, then make an install, then install with installpkg or upgradepkg. I guess my question here is how do I even install idesk and rox? I know about installpkg and ugradepkg and some of the others, but are there guides on installing these packages for Fluxbox? I'm reallly enjoying fluxbox, and would like to add some nice icons, transparencies, and other visual effects to it. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, if anyone knows where I can read manuals or any materials on those I've mentioned above, please provide them. I'd prefer manuals or instructions that actually tell me what I'm doing, not assuming I'm an advanced Linux user. As most stuff stated in manuals say, "blah blah blah, command file name, blah blah blah, I'm the best Linux user and don't want to tell people how to actually install this package, blah blah blah."

THANKS!!!
05-24-2005
Vergil83

Re: Dependencies, Kernel configurations, and others

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandorazbox

I want to install ATI drivers, and hear they are terrible to setup. I've looked online and found an ATI driver install how-to, but it talks about kernel configurations and setting it up according to the manual. I have no clue what this means...haha. I'm pretty new to the Linux world, and this kernel stuff is totally new to me. I'm a Windows application engineer, so Windows is something I know of extremely well. Can anyone explain to me what or how to configure the kernel?

I have never had to reconfigure a kernel for ati support, so I can't help you there (besides looking at how to's). Why you are doing it, is for the kernel ("the thing" that controls how the software and the hardware interact) to be able to comunicate with your gc, it needs to have the correct things loaded. A windows analogy may be something like hardware specific dlls (i am sure this isn't that great of analogy, so if anyone has a better one.... :wink: )

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandorazbox

Second question: I was looking into compiling various packages, and they all say they have dependencies. Such as glibc, svgalib, etc. How in the world do I set up these dependencies? I was reading somewhere about doing a 'ln' command, but I don't know if this is right. I was trying to install Idesk for Fluxbox under Slackware, but I'm having problems installing the package. It fails with the install when I do a 'make' then 'make install'. So I'm guessing I don't have the dependencies set up correctly.

do you get any errors with ./configure, make, or make install? The best way to handle dependencies is to make sure they are installed. Many distro will do this, but since slackware is diy, it is up to you. Just install them before you install the main program.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandorazbox

Third question: Anyone use idesk and rox? Compiling and installing packages are complicated in Linux, as you almost have to compile code, then make an install, then install with installpkg or upgradepkg. I guess my question here is how do I even install idesk and rox? I know about installpkg and ugradepkg and some of the others, but are there guides on installing these packages for Fluxbox? I'm reallly enjoying fluxbox, and would like to add some nice icons, transparencies, and other visual effects to it. Any help would be appreciated.

nope, you ./configure, then make, then make install . installpkg and upgradepkg are slackware specific programs that do all the hard work. see this faq
Try installing flux with this package.
http://www.slackware.com/pb/download...-0.9.12-i486-1
once you get it, just to installpkg packagename
05-25-2005
mr.popper

There are dependency managers for Slackware like swaret and slapt-get that will automatically download and install dependencies for packages you want to install.
05-25-2005
pandorazbox

Well, from what I've been reading in forums and other places, Slackware needs to have patches installed in order to use the ATI drivers.

Also, I was messing around last night with a how-to I found on the web to build my own kernel and edit an existing one. My whole goal was to install kernel-2.6.10. I'm running 2.4.29(?) on my Slack 10.1 machine and want to install the 2.6.10 kernel. Is there an easy way to do this, or do I have to pretty much move all my files to the /usr/src/ directory, then remove system links to linux, make a new one based on the 2.6.10 directory in the /sur/src/, make menuconfig, go through the menu and select/deselect options, make modules, make install_module or whatever it was, then make a system map to it, do things with the bzImage, and then finally make the kernel image and load it into LILO? I was trying to do the 2.6.10 kernel, and ended up with a kernel panic error. The kernel setup went fine, but it just wouldn't go through with the 2.6.10.

I guess my question is, are there any guides on how to install 2.6.10 or any kernel? Based on other places I've read, the install has to be specific to the system, unless this isn't true. Any ideas? I'm big into reading how-to's, tutorials, and manuals. I just don't know where to get them...haha.

Also, thanks for all the help.
05-25-2005
pandorazbox

Aiyeeee....I hit submit without adding what I wanted to add.

Quote:

do you get any errors with ./configure, make, or make install?

On some applications, I get tons of errors. That's why I figured my dependencies weren't set up. It would be nice just to be able to download an install file, and type install xxxxx without having errors. :-) My Fedora Core 3 had many many problems installing files, as did Lycoris and SuSE.

I installed slack and am enjoying it thus far as a learning system. I just want something that is a DIY distro, similar to Slackware, so I can learn from it. But wow...didn't think things were this crazy. I just wish the manuals were on the net along with install how-to's that weren't aimed for the Linux Elite.
05-25-2005
Vergil83

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandorazbox

I guess my question is, are there any guides on how to install 2.6.10 or any kernel?

from slackware itself
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackwar.../README.initrd
and i have heard good things about this site
http://shilo.is-a-geek.com/slack/
05-25-2005
pandorazbox

Thanks for the posts. Any idea of where I can get a manual on what the modules mean, so that way I can install the ones specific to my system? Or should I just us lspci and get that info so I can start installing the modules from there?
05-25-2005
volkovalexander

Slack confusion

Use http://shilo.is-a-geek.com/slack/ to set your system up. No need to recompile your kernel to use ATI drivers - I didn't have to.....

You could download the ati driver pkg for slack from http://www.linuxpackages.net

Here is a gr8 site for beginners: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/f14

There is plenty of info about Linux and Salckware - different levels as well. All you have to do is google. Here are a couple of them:

http://www.tldp.org
http://www.slackware.com/book

And finally, don't give up.

Also most of the times (and Slack is very good for dependencies - so you shouldn't worry much about those) you would only need to do ./configure && make && su -c 'make install'

su -c 'make install' will ask you for the root password as it needs to write to the directories not writable by users

Also I have checked Idesk out and it does require multiple libraries - imlib2, freetype. Quite an advanced procedure. You would need to compile freetype library first - then imlib2 and then idesk...
05-26-2005
pandorazbox

Thanks

Thanks a lot. I've found all of these sites before the last thread was posted. I went over them all day yesterday, and it seems that ATI drivers work better with 2.4.xx kernel installed instead of the 2.6.xx kernel. There seem to be issues that need a patch with the 2.6 kernel. If I need to link dependencies within linux, I just use the "ln -s /usr/src/xxxxxx linux", correct? This will link the sources, if I'm not mistaken. But since Slackware already links them, I shouldn't have to do this, right?

Quote:

Also I have checked Idesk out and it does require multiple libraries - imlib2, freetype. Quite an advanced procedure. You would need to compile freetype library first - then imlib2 and then idesk...

I'm assuming that if I download imlib2 and freetype, that I would do a gcc imlib2.c or whatever it is? Or would they come with a precompiled package in a tar.gz form that i can just do an installpkg xxxx.tar.gz?
05-26-2005
gimp335

.tgz = slack package. Use installpkg filename.tgz to install.

.tar.gz = gzipped source archive. Use tar zxvf filename.tar.gz to unpack, cd to the new directory and read the INSTALL and/or README file for instructions. Usually they use ./configure, make, (su to root) then make install.

.tar.bz2 = bzipped source archive. Use tar jxvf filename.tar.bz2 to unpack. Then same as the tar.gz file.