Re: [off topic] installing linux from scratch
On Tue, 8 Jun 1999, Armin Wegner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> can anybody tell where to find information on how to install linux
> from c source code.
This is not quite clear. You can't install the Linux kernel from its
source code on a bare computer---you have to bootstrap via simpler systems
to get to the point of having a running kernel.
I think you are asking about installing programs on an existing Linux
system using the source code as released by the developer. The
information is in the source packages themselves. They are generally
available as *.tar.gz or *.tgz files. Look on sites like tsx-11.mit.edu,
not sites that are specific to single distributions. Once you have some
version of the source, look in it for the location of the principal
release site, which will have the latest version.
You need the C compiler (gcc), the binutils, the Linux kernel source or
its .h files, and other programs commonly needed to build from source,
including make, bison, flex, sed and a couple of others (you will find out
what's missing when you try to do it). Then you can follow the directions
that usually come with the source, and generally build and install the
binary, though there are sometimes portability problems.
> Currently I'm using Debian. Debian is fine. But there is no support for
> my Riva TNT chipset in X 3.3.2.3. So I've installed version 3.3.3.1 from
> source to /usr/local. Now there are many very anoying problems with the
Hmm... Okay. It is quite unclear what you are trying to ask.
> dpkg dependency check, when installing application for X. dpkg won't let
> me install twm without installing xbase, etc. before.
If you've installed XFree86 3.3.3 from source I think you will have twm.
If not, install X11 with the binaries from ftp.xfree86.org and you will
certainly have it.
> dpkg is missing an option to tell it, that an package has been installed
> by hand and there is no need to install the .deb package.
If you already have a program installed but Debian doesn't know it and
thinks there is a missing dependency, and you want to run a Debian system,
in my limited experience your simplest option is to download and install
the corresponding Debian package. In fact I've just done this with X11 -
I deleted a /usr/X11R6 installed from the xfree86.org binaries, and
installed Debian's idea of the same thing (from potato). Someone else
may have a better idea, but that is a simple (if not quick) way.
If I have some program or documentation that was installed "by hand"
on a Debian Linux system, I want to install the corresponding Debian
package over the top of it and get rid of what is not Debian, to improve
the consistency, simplicity and intelligibility of the total system.
On the other hand I wouldn't want to pollute a Slackware system with
Debian packages, for the same reason.
> I'm using very few package. Propably it's an option for me, to install
> linux from source code. My /usr/local is bigger then /usr.
Given the attitudes you seem to be expressing, I think Debian is probably
a bad fit for you. You might be happier with Slackware.
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