compiling Lynx ... im a bit lost?
"F" == Fundamental <kaneda@nectar.com.au> writes:
F> hi
F> i just downloaded the Lynx source code ... i would like to compile it
F> myself (i thought it would a good learning experince;)
Excellent idea! :)
F> ... i read the
F> installation guide carefully and made the appropriate changes
Only I think it would be better for you to start with the Debian
sources and do the Debian build.
I think this is a great way to get some insight into what actually
goes into a real Debian `.deb' file -- which is to say, an
appreciation for the careful thinking that went into the design of the
whole Debian project.
F> ...the
F> guide than says to type make (or makefile) and off you'll go .. but i
F> keep getting an "unknown command" ... what have i done wrong?
Well, like I said, I think it would be better for you to start
with the Debian sources, but I am sure whatever you are reading does
not say to type `make' OR `makefile' because `make' invokes a program
by that name and that program expects its input on a file named
`Makefile'.
It is simpler to start with the Debian sources because that way
you take advantage of the fact that the Debian distribution has
achieved an extraordinary degree of standardization at the
package-building level.
To regenerate any Debian package -- i.e., any `.deb' file that is
part of the Debian distribution -- you simply download the Debian
sources for that package, unpack them somewhere, `cd' to that directory,
and do two things:
./debian.rules build
./debian.rules binary
98% of the work happens in the `./debian.rules build' stage;
after that, `./debian.rules binary' essentially wraps it all up and
leaves a shiny new `.deb' file sitting in the parent directory of the
directory in which you unpacked the Debian sources.
Then, if you want, you run `dpkg --install' on that `.deb' file.
I have done this dozens of times because I believe that programs
which compile on my PC are more likely to work on my PC, and are more
likely to fail to compile on my PC if in some sense they shouldn't
work on my PC; either way, the cumulative effect of this is that I
have a very high degree of confidence in my Debian system.
I say go for it!
Bill
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