Re: [Plib-users] problem (with plib) while installing SimGear(FlightGear)

[Sebastian U. <ud...@ha...>]

On Thu, 06 Jun 2002, de...@es... (Ferréol de SORAS) wrote:
> Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 20:36:02 +0300
> To: pli...@li...
> From: de...@es... (Ferréol de SORAS)
> Subject: Re: [Plib-users] problem     (with plib) while installing
> SimGear(FlightGear)
>
> well i followed instructions from howtows to install glut and it works
> pretty well (for ex, tuxracer works)...

Okay, at least you read the docs. A very good decision, in deed - many
users don't, and wonder afterwards why their systems are messed up.

But please make notes of what new files you copied to your system - the
notes might get in handy if you need to remove something later or just
wonder what package a particular file belongs to. Or even better: Compile
the stuff, then make a RPM / debian / slackware package out of it and
install the package.


> it is not the problem the problem might be what wonders you !

Well, I really doubt that this is a bug in the SimGear configure script.
This project is too popular to have still significant bugs in a often-used
thing like the configure system - but you never know ...


> (i did not find slackware rpms for glut)

First, doesn't use slackware its own package format ?

Secondly, I'd say there must be packages for slackware. It is really is not
a that unpopular linux distribution - did google really not find anything ?


Anyway, compiling from source on your own is basically okay, as long as you

- remove versions of the program / library that your distribution installed
  prior to installing something manually. Almost all Makefiles won't save
  you from having two different versions of the same library installed on
  the same system in differernt paths, which is a very bad thing that can
  lead to the obscurest problems.

- read the docs !

- diligently take notes of what files you installed on your system. There
  most likely will be a situation where you will be happy that you did.
  Note that programs such as installwatch (use google) can help you with
  doing so.

- remember to remove the files you installed manually prior to installing
  a RPM / debian / slackware package of the software again. Good that you
  took the notes upon installing, eh ?

Furthermore, note that most package managers do the above automatically for
you, so I consider them a very good thing especially for novice users. When
used correctly, they save you from a great amount of human mistakes, while
there is almost zero protection when installing something manually.


But to come back to the original topic: Did you do the "find" ? Where do
the header files reside ?


- Sebastian