There are a few apps that the modules don't include (such as X-chat and Pidgin) that I'd like to install. I'm a linux newbie and I don't know how to compile yet so any advice would be appreciated.
Hmm... In a normal Linux system one would get the source files, extract them, and in the console screen inside the source directory one would do the usual "./configure && make && make install". Slax is not your usual distribution...
I'm assuming you have basic shell knowledge (like how to use the console, use cd to move around in the console, and that you can use 'sudo' in your console).
The easiest way to make your own programs is to make your own unofficial modules. If you can get your hands on Slackware pkgtools (installpkg, updatepkg, pkgtool, etc) then your best bet would be to go to http://www.slackbuilds.org/repository/12.0/ and search for your package there. Download the SlackBuild file and extract it. In the new folder, download the source tar.gz or tar.bz2 file (links in the same page as the SlackBuild). In the console, chdir to the directory of the SlackBuild, then run "sudo ./app-name.SlackBuild", where app-name is the name of the application being installed. When the system finishes, you will have a Slackware package in your /tmp/ folder. Then do (in the console) "sudo tgz2lzm /tmp/app-name*.tgz app-name.lzm". This will make a module of your package. Now move/copy it to your Slax module folder (slax/modules, I believe). Next time Slax starts the program will be "installed".
Please write back with more questions if you have any and write back if this works.
Also, out to anyone else, is there a better way of making modules? Like a simple method for new-comers?
Do a search on the programs and download them, then at the prompt do a tgz2lzm
root@slax:~# tgz2lzm package-name.tgz package-name.lzm
The resultant lzm file can be activated by using activate command.
He posted a page with authors of several modules, you click on the author's profile and the contributed modules. You can also search for the modules that you need directly from the slax modules website:
Got it from the thread:
Do NOT use "--prefix=/tmp/abc", this will make all your pointers for the installation look into /tmp/abc. You want the default installation to be in /usr/ or /usr/local/ which is where most installs go. If not what will happen is your system won't pick up the libraries and your binary will fail. The proper way to do it is to :
mkdir -p /tmp/abc
./configure; make; make install DESTDIR=/tmp/abc
cd /tmp/abc; dir2lzm . /tmp/xyz.lzm
That will build the app with the correct path and directories so the system can pick it up and will dump all the files in the correct structure to /tmp/abc. You then use /tmp/abc to do dir2lzm and create the module in /tmp.
All this is actually covered several times in the rest of the forum, please do a search.
cd /tmp/abc; dir2lzm . /tmp/xyz.lzm
That will build the app with the correct path and directories so the system can pick it up and will dump all the
You should do a roundabout here so that other users can easily install/uninstall it cleanly from even a real-install
cd /tmp/abc && makepkg packagename-packageversion-march-minorversion.tgz -linkadd y -chown n && tgz2lzm makepkg packagename-packageversion-march-minorversion.tgz makepkg packagename-packageversion-march-minorversion.lzm
That will leave an installscript and a description file also listing all installed files.
Did anyone mention the easiest way
Use: "checkinstall" after configuring the extracted source.
All modules I build, are build twoways. That is, they fit as good into a real install as a live Slax. That is how everyone should do it, if they want to make a flexible module. Just to bad that is not included in the offically-module-criteria, but a nice looking icon on the page, is more important. Cant have too blurry icons there :p (waving my finger)
