visualpython-users

[Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Andrew M. <mo...@tb...>]

I have tried just about everything I know how to do to get vpython
installed on a RH6.2 box.

Finally, after I could not get libstdc++ upgraded or changed to the right
version anymore, I gave up and installed via rpm with --nodeps.

Then I found out I was using python1.5, which the webstie said not to do,
so I went out and got python2.0 after getting that installed, I tried to
uninstall the python-visual rpm and the python-15. rpm and  reinstall
visual-python with the new version of python.

It didn't work.   Maybe I'm not using rpm correctly.   Any help would be
greatly appreciated since I love vpython on my winows machine at home, I'd
like to use it in the office at school, too.


Thanks!  


Andrew Morrison 

Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

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!!

Bruce Sherwood

Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Andrew M. <mo...@tb...>]

Thanks for keeping this thread alive, Bruce!  :)   I was worried I had 
been forgotten about.   I am new to Vpython, but not so new to linux,
although I am no expert.   In general, rpm installations on RedHat based
distributions work for me about 95% of the time.  The other 5% of the
time, I usually have a missing dependency which I can correct by
downloading and installing the right library or module.

Since I am so new to Vpython, I am still confused about how it
operates.  If it is simply an extension of python, then would it be safe
to call it a collection of libraries?   I don't think it's that simple,
but I really don't know.

Some of the things that I'd like to know are: What OS was Vpython
developed on?   Why is there so little documentation for the linux
version?

I'd be willing to post some error messages I am getting, if that would
help.



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!!
> 
> Bruce Sherwood
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Visualpython-users mailing list
> Vis...@li...
> http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/visualpython-users
> 

Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Dave Scherer developed the Visual module, and the much-improved version of 
IDLE, on Windows, and that is the platform we have been using with our 
physics students. Members of the VPython group have worked to build 
packages for other platforms. In particular, Ari Heitner has carried most 
of the burden of making Linux versions available, and David Andersen has 
been working on the Macintosh version (which is even harder than the Linux 
version).

We have tried to incorporate into the FAQ tips from Linux users about what 
they had to do to get VPython to work, and we would be delighted to get 
further information to share.

As to how VPython works, Visual is a module implemented in C++ but 
importable by Python as though it were any other ordinary Python module, 
thanks to some glue. We have given the name VPython to the combination of 
Python with the Visual module (and the improved IDLE).

Bruce Sherwood

Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Ari H. <ahe...@an...>]

On Wed, 28 Mar 2001, Bruce Sherwood wrote:

> packages for other platforms. In particular, Ari Heitner has carried most 
> of the burden of making Linux versions available, and David Andersen has 
> 
> We have tried to incorporate into the FAQ tips from Linux users about what 
> they had to do to get VPython to work, and we would be delighted to get 
> further information to share.
> 
Sorry, I'm in boston hacking for ibm and i've been dropping the ball on this
one. 

i'll try and go back and reply to the previous msg in this thread.




ari

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

Re: [Visualpython-users] install w/ rpm

[Ari H. <ahe...@an...>]

On Tue, 27 Mar 2001, Andrew Morrison wrote:

> Finally, after I could not get libstdc++ upgraded or changed to the right
> version anymore, I gave up and installed via rpm with --nodeps.

Ennnt! You lose ;)

You *must* install visual with the correct libstdc++ version. The libstdc++
version is specified in the dynamic dependencies of the Visual
library, cvisualmodule.so: 
  nimrod:~/cvs/cvisual$ ldd cvisualmodule.so 
        ...
        libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3 => /usr/lib/libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3 (0x406b5000)
        ...

You must find the package on rpmfind and install it. It lists itself as being
in the libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2 package on this machine. I'm sure the version on
RH is at least a few versions behind that. It looks like RH 7 has changed their
naming scheme and are calling the package libstdc++-2.69-69.rpm.

> 
> Then I found out I was using python1.5, which the webstie said not to do,
> so I went out and got python2.0 after getting that installed, I tried to
> uninstall the python-visual rpm and the python-15. rpm and  reinstall
> visual-python with the new version of python.

That's the website being unclear. We removed all the Python-2 syntax in
Visual; it now works in python 1.5.2, and the Linux packages expect to run on
top of 1.5.2.

> 
> It didn't work.   Maybe I'm not using rpm correctly.   Any help would be
> greatly appreciated since I love vpython on my winows machine at home, I'd
> like to use it in the office at school, too.
> 

I apologize for this being a mess. You're welcome to get the source and build
it yourself; putting it in place is not too unstraightforward and it will solve
your library versioning problems. I run debian, and i can't keep around
machines for 3 or 4 RH versions just to produce VPython packages for them.





Ari