GNUstep Installation 2005-09-13 The packages in this directory were created using SuSe-Linux 9.3. You can install them safely on SuSe Linux >= 9.3, and probably on other Linux distributions like Red Hat. All packages will be installed in /usr/GNUstep. 1. System requirements 2. Additional packages from the distribution 3. GNUstep installation 4. GNUstep configuration 5. GNUstep configuration for each user 6. Login-Panel (optional) 7. Details (optional) 8. Quick entry to GNUstep 9. Trouble Shooting 1. System Requirements ======================================================================= The installation of GNUstep using the RPM packages from vhf, require the following: - Linux kernel >= 2.4 - XFree86 Version >= 4 - You probably want to use WindowMaker as the window manager, because it has the same look as GNUstep applications. - This document is based on the SuSe 9 distribution with minimal graphic system. Other distributions may deviate in some details. 2. Additional packages from the distribution ======================================================================= The following packages must be installed from the distribution CD. - libxml2 Package: libxml2 - libobjc Package: libobjc - libart_lgpl_2 Package: libart_lgpl - gmp Package: gmp - ld Package: binutils - freetype-2.1.4 Package: freetype-2 - ghostscript (gs) Package: ghostscript - libaudiofile Package: audiofile portaudio Package: portaudio - libpng Package: libpng You may need to install other libraries, which usually are all available on any distribution. So, if the installation of the RPM packages request some other libraries, you can install them from your distribution. 3. GNUstep Installation (as user root) ======================================================================= mount /cdrom cd /cdrom/Cenon/Linux/i586/GNUstep The following GNUstep packages need to be installed as user root in the given order (you can copy the lines into your terminal shell). These 5 packages are the GNUstep base and are the important ones. rpm -Uhv gnustep-make*.rpm rpm -Uhv gnustep-base*.rpm rpm -Uhv gnustep-gui*.rpm rpm -Uhv gnustep-back*.rpm # Art backend for GNUstep rpm -Uhv gnustep-fonts*.rpm # some basic fonts for the Art backend In the folder Apps you find some applications for GNUstep. You should install at least the important ones. rpm -Uhv GWorkspace.app.rpm # File-Manager (important!) rpm -Uhv Preferences.app.rpm # Preferences for GNUstep (important!) rpm -Uhv Login.app.rpm # nice Login-Panel rpm -Uhv AppWrappers.rpm # allows starting non GNUstep apps rpm -Uhv ImageViewer.app.rpm # an Image Viewer rpm -Uhv Ink.app.rpm # RTF-Editor rpm -Uhv GNUMail.app.rpm # very good mail client rpm -Uhv GSPdf.app.rpm # PDF Viewer rpm -Uhv Burn.app.rpm # CD-Writer+ CD-Player (CDPlayer.app) rpm -Uhv Affiche.app.rpm # Notes rpm -Uhv EasyDiff.app.rpm # comfortable tool to compare files rpm -Uhv CodeEditor.app.rpm # text editor with syntax highlighting rpm -Uhv Charmap.app.rpm # displays character maps rpm -Uhv Terminal.app.rpm # Terminal program rpm -Uhv Waiho.app.rpm # FTP client Tip: If the installation brings up an error message, then usually a library is not installed on your system. You can simply install the library from your distribution. The following commands are of general help in using RPMs: rpm -qpR PACKAGENAME.rpm # list package dependencies rpm -qpi PACKAGENAME.rpm # list package information rpm -qpl PACKAGENAME.rpm # list package contents 4. GNUstep Configuration (as user root) ======================================================================= The following lines need to be added to a boot script. For the most linux distributions this is /etc/init.d/boot.local # start GNUstep services if [ -f /usr/GNUstep/System/Library/Makefiles/GNUstep.sh ]; then source /usr/GNUstep/System/Library/Makefiles/GNUstep.sh opentool gdomap opentool gdnc opentool gnustep_sndd # if available fi 5. GNUstep Configuration for all Users (login as user) ======================================================================= For these configurations you have to be logged in as the user. Copy the following lines into the .xinitrc file before the window manager is started (here wmaker). The file .xinitrc is located in your home directory. If the file is missing create one. # set GNUstep environment, start pasteboard server . /usr/GNUstep/System/Library/Makefiles/GNUstep.sh gpbs # start Window Maker wmaker You can set the time zone, system font and modifier keys with the Preferences.app. 6. Login-Panel (optional, login as user root) ======================================================================= This Login-Panel has the look of GNUstep and WindowMaker. You don't need it. If you want to install it, you should know approximately what you are doing. If you configure it in the wrong way, you may have trouble starting the X-Window Server. First, deactivate a running display manager (xdm, kdm)! On SuSe distributions, you can simply remove xdm from the runlevel list. Now, you have to place the following line to the end of the /etc/inittab file: x1:5:respawn:/usr/GNUstep/System/Applications/Login.app/Login >& /dev/null After the first double colon you have to place the runlevel used for graphics (5 in the example). If in rare cases, the runlevel differs from 5, you have to change this. The runlevel can be found at the beginning of the inittab file. 7. Details (optional) ======================================================================= Keyboard commands To have the keyboard commands for Alt-1, Alt-2, ... available in GNUstep, you should disable them in WindowMaker. To do this goto the preferences of WindowMaker. 8. Quick entry to GNUstep ======================================================================= GNUstep applications are located in the following paths: /usr/GNUstep/Local/Applications /usr/GNUstep/System/Applications The following are examples of applications available for GNUstep. Documentation to these programs can be found on their home pages: GWorkspace.app The File Manager. Internet: http://www.gnustep.it/enrico/gworkspace/ GNUMail.app The Mail Client Internet: http://www.collaboration-world.com/gnumail/ Preferences.app Preferences for GNUstep. After the first start, you may have to set all the switches of the first module. After a restart the modules for keymapping appear. Here you can set the modifier keys, time zone, system font, etc. Ink.app Text editor + Rich Text editor (RTF editor) ImageViewer.app Image Viewer Internet: http://www.nice.ch/~phip/softcorner.html Calculator.app little Calculator Affiche.app yellow notes Waiho FTP client You can start applications from GWorkspace. You can also start programs from a terminal shell (to have this work you need to source the GNUstep.sh script as described before!): openapp GWorkspace.app 9. Trouble Shooting ======================================================================= RPM doesn't install the package. Instead I get messages of missing library dependencies. Cause: Some libraries, which are needed are not installed Solution: Install the missing libraries from your distribution. You can use the search function to find the related package. The libraries are installed. Still the dependencies are not sattified. Cause: The library is only provided in a different version. Solution: You can try to install by ignoring the dependencies using the parameter --nodeps It may also help to create a link to an existing library version. RPM on SuSe 8.2 brings a message likee "...cpio: link failed - No such file or directory...". Cause: A bug in the version of rpm. It was tried to create a link, before the target files are created. Solution: Use a newer rpm version or create the target file manually. The menu of GNUstep is very wide and the texts are cut off. Cause: You are using an old version of the X Window Server Solution: install XFree 86 Version 4 or larger The Gnustep paths (echo $PATH) are set to linux-gnuolsld instead of linux-gnu. Rien ne va plus. Cause: The tool ld isn't installed Solution: Install the package binutils from the distribution I get a message that 'openapp' can't be found. Cause: You haven't issued the GNUstep.sh script Solution: You have to add the call of the script into your .xinitrc file for every user (see above). The Login-Panel cancels with the message "respawn to fast" Cause: the Double Buffer Extension is missing Solution: add 'Load "dbe"' to the section "Module" of the XFConfig file /etc/X11/XF86Config