9. How to compile LinFBB's executable files

2003-01-01

Notice: Until recently, I preferred to download "factory-made" executables in RPM format (something like ZIP in MS Windows world). After getting a RPM package, a click on it activates the program that unpack and install its content. Well, it is great whenever your RPM has been "manufactured" for the very similar distribution of Linux you have. If not ...

• Well, I have already had the package xfbb-7.04-2.i386.rpm (07 August 2001), that was running OK under RH 6.2 distro. And not only that. Its "packer", Jose HI8GN, has explained that this package was actually compiled and linked with utilities that came with RH 6.2 - so under that distribution should be no problems at all.

• The other day, I finally decided to abandon that 4-5 year old version of X11 LinFBB application that I knew it would not run under something newer than RH 6.2 distro. In short, I decided to stay with daemon LinFBB's only, so it was the right time to upgrade the Linux system itself. Another handy installation that I had, was RH 7.1 and I used it. After finishing that task, I rushed to re-install the RPM package above, but it just didn't want to run.

• I had no choice but to browse fbb web sites in order to find a RPM package that would fit RH 7.1 distribution. Unfortunately, it looked that there were no LinFBB recompiled RPMs for 7.1 version of RedHat. The only solution was to try with tarballs. So, what I have downloaded from www.f6fbb.org/versions.html, was xd704h-src.tgz archive.

• So far - so good. Well, folks, I am not very good in "deepest" secrets of Linux, so I was not sure where might be the best location to unpack the archive. According a readme file, it should be "fbbsrc" directory, so I considered that /usr/src would be the best place to copy archive's fbbsrc.704h directory.

• fbbsrc.704h directory has been made of 12 files and 7 subdirectories, one of which is src subdirectory. As I said, the readme suggests a user to "goto fbbsrc/src" directory, and I concluded that /usr/src/fbbsrc.704h/src was the right place.

• The readme also suggests to "update the variables" at the beginning of Makefile files, but I did not do that because I was not sure what should be replaced there. I have just left the file(s) intact.

• The next task was to run make command from the shell and it took half a minute to be finished. The result were few new xfbb executable files that I quickly moved to /usr/sbin directory. BTW, some people rather suggest to run make install, in order to avoid multiple copying of compiled executables, but I found that way as not functional.

• Soon after, I tried to activate LinFBB's daemon and it seemed to work without visible difficulties (using a temporary home LAN with a laptop, I also started fbbW, a LinFBB Windows client. It recognized the daemon in a second and I've only noticed that there was no Protus password utility running).

• According the readme, the next task should be to "compile the xfbbC client". That operation is to be performed from a place called "fbbsrc/client" but the only directory available under /usr/src/fbbsrc.704h/src was X11 subdir.

• After clicking on its icon, I recognized the second one file with a name Makefile (they have mentioned "updating" of both Makefile files, so I hoped to reach the proper place once again, regardless of two unknown paths). Besides that, they have suggested to use "at least the version 2.1.37b of ax25-utils" and I found not to have something like that installed (case they mean of a suit of libax25, ax25apps and ax25tool - than it is OK). Anyway, one more time I activated make command from the shell and the result was in getting xfbbC executable.

• As usual, xfbbC client is invoked from within an xterm (or similar) window and it seemed that it was also fully functional. So far - so good.

• The next issue is to "compile the xfbbX client", but this time a user is requested to have a version of Motif installed. Well, what I knew was that I had no Motif in the box, but a couple of Lesstif RPM packages were somewhere around. Anyway, I installed them with --force and --nodeps options to avoid several dependency obstacles. In sum, Lestiff has come to its place on the disk.

• This time, I did make some "updates" related to Makefile paths and tried to run make command from the shell (for the 3rd time now). Seems that I got no answer, because there appeared neither xfbbX nor xfbbX_cl new executable files. In order to "solve" that issue, I just applied the executables from the earlier version I have backup-ed on the system.

• Finally, I managed to activate xfbbX client without problems, although I knew it was not an updated version (compared to the daemon itself). Regardless of that fact, a GUI client works properly.

• As I just mentioned, I noticed that the first console connections were without familiar {PROTUS-4.1b7} designation. So, I had to check and double-check all the paths and system directories, described in the Protus section of this mini-HOWTO. At the first sight, it looked to me that everything was fine, but the utility was not likely to start. Finally, I copied its main executable into the yet another system location: /usr/lib/fbb/filter, re-started the system and Protus returned back to its function.

• What I have to do in the future, is to check if the procedure described in this section was the right one, although most of the BBS's main features seem to be active - like they were with RH 6.2 distribution and mentioned LinFBB packages in RPM format.