Re^10: CPAN failed install

[afoken]

Having not worked with Slackware or Gtk2::WebKit I admit I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here, but I imagine I'm not the only one. I can't seem to find a Slackware package named something like "webkit-1.0"

Slackware traditionally has only a relatively small set of packages (about 1300 in 14.2), you are expected to build and install software not part of Slackware from source. There is SlackBuilds.org, where you can find build scripts for about 6000 more packages. Download the build script and the source, run the build script as root, and you get an installable slackware package that can be installed using installpkg. If the software you want to install is neither available as a Slackware package nor as a SlackBuild script, you are on your own.

Yes, younger package systems using *.deb or *.rpm packages give quite instant results, just type sudo apt-get whatever-you-want or some other variant and you'll get it, including all dependencies. If you just want to use your system as a blackbox and don't intent to learn anything, use them. Slackware does not use or support them, and for good reasons.

A very welcome side effect is that you really learn how your system works. Slackware is - at the first look - a little bit under-documented. Apart from the documentation that comes with the system, there is a Slackbook dated 2005, and another slightly newer beta dated 2012. One of the first things to learn is how to find documentation, i.e. using man, info, and finding things in /usr/doc. Slackware comes with most FAQs and HOWTOs from the Linux documentation project.

I'm quite sure slackware does not have a webkit package, so you want to search slackbuilds.org. And lo and behold, there are several webkit packages for several Slackware releases, including packages combining webkit and GTK.

Alexander

[haukex]

Hi Alexander,

Thanks very much for all the info - I figured this would be a build-from-source situation. I remember the good old days of having to build most things from source and I don't mind doing so today when necessary, but personally I enjoy the modern convenience of package managers and well-stocked repositories. So I probably wouldn't switch to a distro like Slackware (or, I've also read Gentoo is similar in that everything is built from source, an I've met people who swear by it); at the moment my preferred distros are Debian-based ones. (Update: I don't mean to imply there is anything wrong with building stuff from source; just stating my current personal preference to use precompiled packages.)

Anyway, not to get too far off-topic, I'm still curious what exactly Linicks compiled / installed :-)

Thanks, Regards,
-- Hauke D

[afoken]

I've also read Gentoo is similar in that everything is built from source

Well, Slackware is essentially a binary distribution (sources included), but everything not in Slackware generally has to be compiled, or you have to find a binary that runs on Slackware (this is how I use VirtualBox: Oracle offers an AMD64 binary that just runs on Slackware).

Gentoo has a tiny bootstrap system that is a binary distribution, and then compiles everything from there on, with aggressive compiler optimization for the target machine. Gentoo has a lot of "ebuilds" that are essentially build instructions like slackbuild scripts, but already included with the distribution. Technically, you should be able to build Gentoo even without that bootstrap system on any other Linux.

FreeBSD has a similar concept, somewhere in between Slackware and Gentoo. The basic system comes as binaries + source, and it has "ports" built into the distruibution, again a set of build instructions for 3rd party software. The main difference - except for the obious Linux vs. BSD - is that FreeBSD does not try to micro-optimize for the target machine. Other BSDs have copied the ports idea.

T2 and Linux From Scratch are examples for distributions that are essentially only build instructions for a distribution. You can customize virtually everything, and build your own Linux to match your very special needs - e.g. for embedded systems or high performance computing.

Alexander

[haukex]

Hi Alexander,

Thanks, that's very interesting, and the differences are good to know. I played around with things like busybox a few years back, but have to admit that now that embedded systems like the RPi can run full Linux distros, I've obviously found those easier to develop for. In a message, hippo pointed me to the controversy surrounding systemd, it seems the only two distros that haven't adopted it as the default yet are Slackware and Gentoo. I guess I should start keeping an eye on those and other distros as well.

Regards,
-- Hauke D

[Anonymous Monk]

I want to explicitly note that most of software in The FreeBSD Ports is also available in already compiled form (binary), with default options for the related ports. pkg (https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=pkg&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+10.3-RELEASE+and+Ports&arch=default&format=html ; "Tough Beans" if you cannot click the link since the site blocked my effort to give you that) is the command to manage the (to be) installed software.

The software which is not available in binary -- see "lame" -- is due to license restrictions: no binary distribution; explicit user consent; restricted commercial use; etc.