Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Roger F. <fe...@bi...>]

On Wed, 28 Mar 2001, Bruce Sherwood wrote:

> The report of Andrew Morrison about the difficulties of installing VPython 
> on RH6.2 is pretty discouraging. Unfortunately I am not (yet) a Linux user, 
> so I don't understand the problem. We keep seeing report after report about 
> the extreme difficulty of installing VPython on (some brand of) Linux. Is 
> this a general malady with all applications on Linux? Is it generally the 
> case that it is almost impossible to install Linux applications? If not, 
> what is special about VPython? AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!

It seems to be a number of things (all special about RH6.2?).

- the VPython rpm has been linked against a later (and
  incompatible) version of the C++ libraries. A better way for a general
  Linux distribution might be a source distribution with the usual
  configure; make approach.  

- unfortunately, the compiler that comes with RH6.2 falls over while
  trying to compile CXX (internal compiler error). 
  -> upgrade to get this compiled.

- unfortunately, once that is done, there is a certain amount of brokeness
  in RH6.2 with respect to threading. It seems best to update the kernel
  and libc to get this working 
  -> RH 6.2 updates.

AAARGHHHHHH indeed.

Then, it all works fine!

I guess VPython is some sort of worst-case test for RH 6.2!

Roger.

-- 
Roger Fearick
Dept. of Physics
University of Cape Town