Fed up with Windows as most users, I decided to install Slackware 10
and see how it compared to older versions. Previously I gave up on it
as my main OS due to too many problems getting things to work and lack
of quality programs. Well, in just two days I see things haven't
changed much. I figured with a fairly new version of Slack that I
would have all the latest versions of various components, but I
continually get messages saying I need this or that, or this isn't
compatible with that. Today alone I tried to compile and install 5
programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
[install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
directory.

Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
these libraries are and what they do.

Any suggestions or comments.

On 2004-11-18, Beauford <beauford@hotpop.com> wrote:
> make: ***
> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
> directory.
>
> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.

Google is--try getting lucky with libgd as your search string. It
looks like Slackware 10 does not come with libgd, so you'll need to
get version 1 yourself (that's what the 1 means) and install it. The
docs for whatever you're installing probably mentioned libgd as a
requirement, and possibly where to get it (though not necessarily).

--keith

--
kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us
(try just my userid to email me)
AOLSFAQ=http://wombat.san-francisco.ca.us/cgi-bin/fom

Beauford wrote:

> Fed up with Windows as most users, I decided to install Slackware 10
> and see how it compared to older versions. Previously I gave up on it
> as my main OS due to too many problems getting things to work and lack
> of quality programs. Well, in just two days I see things haven't
> changed much. I figured with a fairly new version of Slack that I
> would have all the latest versions of various components, but I
> continually get messages saying I need this or that, or this isn't
> compatible with that. Today alone I tried to compile and install 5
> programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
> directory.
>
> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.
>
> Any suggestions or comments.

Well...I started my "life with Slack" in a similar vain...but then I slowly
discovered that Slack contained a *ton* of apps that are fantastic, yet go
unnoticed. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to find a full-fledged
set up for composing and compiling tex/latex documents, as part of the
default install of Slack. Sure, it was not a chrome-rich WYSIWYG type
of thing...but the apps work *wonderfully*. (composing in "vi"; running
"latex"; pre-viewing in "xdvi"; converting with "dvips" and "ps2pdf";
viewing in "xpdf" which I prefer over Adobe Acrobat; etc...). These
things may *seem* primative, at first look...but yield very
professional results. If I had been working with an "eye-candy-rich"
distro such as Mandrake, I may never have learned about these things, and
how they worked.

So, poke around. Before you run into more frustrations trying to
install something new...you might find a hidden "gem" already contained
on your system.

--

Greg Heilers
Registered Linux user #328317 - SlackWare 10.0

.....

I love shooting stars...and Justin Timberlake is next in line.

On 2004-11-18, Beauford <beauford@hotpop.com> wrote:
> Fed up with Windows as most users, I decided to install Slackware 10
> and see how it compared to older versions. Previously I gave up on it
> as my main OS due to too many problems getting things to work and lack
> of quality programs. Well, in just two days I see things haven't
> changed much. I figured with a fairly new version of Slack that I
> would have all the latest versions of various components, but I
> continually get messages saying I need this or that, or this isn't
> compatible with that. Today alone I tried to compile and install 5
> programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
> directory.
>
> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.
>
> Any suggestions or comments.

Oh, that. That's the 'Linux Hurdle'. You have to get over that to be allowed
to use linux. This is especially true of users that come from the Windows
environment; it was the same with me. It took about one solid month before I
felt comfortable to know my way around the system. I'm still finding and
learning things, over a year later.

Windows lays out everything for you- already done. Which is Ok, but it's kinda
like when you're little and your mom dresses you; it's all layed out and nice
& easy, but eventually *you* want that say. Personly, I'd trade a 'cannot open
shared object file: No such file or directory' for a 'Blah-blah has preformed
and illegal operation, Windows will now close' any day.

On large systems, which linux tends to lend itself to, if you didn't have
shared libraries then each program would have to pack it's own: be compiled
statically. So, take the size of your missing libgd.so and multiply that by
each and every file that makes use of it. Now do that for every single other
..so file on the whole system. Yes, we are talking about *alot* of room. Plus,
what happens if that lib suddenly is found to contain a bug which lets someone
root your system? Allllll those apps will need to be replaced. With dynamic
libs, you just replace the library and (usually :P) you're OK. I just did this
with Openssl from "d" to "e". Now all those apps benefit.

Once you have a strong build system you won't have any more library troubles.
Acquiring one takes a little work, and you may want/need to step outside of
the default Slackware libraries, but they're fortunately easy to come by. Just
stick the name of the lib in Google or another seach engine. Sometimes you can
get precompiled ones, and Mandrake & Redhat libs also will (usually) work on
Slackware as well. I prefer to go straight to the home site and compile it
in-system, since I've had better luck with the stuff that's built using my own
other libraries and tools. After you build it, run 'ldconfig' to update the
shared lib cache, and you should be all set. There's about a half-dozen or so
popular libraries that you find alot of apps use. Once you have those, you
won't be hunting for libs again unless something uses some odd library (but it
should say if it does.)

Learning some C programming and how the system works with libs and uses them
might help you get a handle on libraries, too. Checkout the man pages for
these may help:

ld.so
ld
ldconfig
ar
ranlib
ldd


Fun with libraries:
------------------

See the so's in the cache:
ldconfig -p

See which shared objs. a dynamic binary uses:
ldd <binary>

Check if a binary is dynamic in the first place:
file <binary>

Find if a lib is even on the system (assumes you've got locate installed):
locate libinvisible.so.2

Look inside a library of object code:
ar tv <libwhatever.a>

Put all your object files into a library to use'em later:
ar crv libsomething.a *.o
ranlib libsomething.a

Now use something that was in those objs. to link in with another app:
(notice the "lib" and ".a" parts drop off)
gcc -o mynewprogram mysourcefile.c -lsomething

--
--- SIGSEGV (Segmentation fault) @ 0 (0) ---
+++ killed by SIGSEGV +++

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:58:13 -0500, Beauford wrote:

> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.
> Any suggestions or comments.

Yeah. You're just another piece of shit TROLL. Get lost.

--
If you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
Linux Registered User #327951

> programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
> directory.
>
> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.

you can get (and install) a GD package from www.linuxpackages.net

http://www.linuxpackages.net/pkg_details.php?id=3587

GD doesn't come with slackware by default.

--
damjan

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 06:30:10 -0600, Dan C
<youmustbejoking@invalid.org> wrote:

>On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:58:13 -0500, Beauford wrote:
>
>> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
>> these libraries are and what they do.
>> Any suggestions or comments.
>
>Yeah. You're just another piece of shit TROLL. Get lost.

Nothing constructive to say so they just say something to let everyone
know they're still an asshole.

Probably 'cause they weren't breast fed, but hey, I'm just guessing
here.

jayjwa wrote:

> Once you have a strong build system you won't have any more library
> troubles. Acquiring one takes a little work, and you may want/need to step
> outside of the default Slackware libraries, but they're fortunately easy
> to come by.

A very nice analysis of the migration effect. I will just throw in that
after doing a full install of Slackware, I almost never (once every two
years?) need to install an extra library that didn't come with Slack.
Generally, I find that for those applications which require extra libs
there is often another program, *already installed*, which performs the
same function.

I have been a Slackware advocate in my small town for some years now. I find
that people here who have installed Slackware (or maybe their kids
installed it, then went away to school ...) sometimes wind up hiring me to
spiff up their system in one way or another. Even the ones that hire me a
few times before their system is just right wind up spending FAR FAR less
money than the equivalent Windows/proprietary software would cost them. So
to the OP -- you may consider that for less money you could have Slackware
PLUS your own personal system administrator. Talk about luxury!

Jeffrey

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 09:38:17 -0000, jayjwa <jayjwa@nowhere.org> wrote:

>On 2004-11-18, Beauford <beauford@hotpop.com> wrote:
>> Fed up with Windows as most users, I decided to install Slackware 10
>> and see how it compared to older versions. Previously I gave up on it
>> as my main OS due to too many problems getting things to work and lack
>> of quality programs. Well, in just two days I see things haven't
>> changed much. I figured with a fairly new version of Slack that I
>> would have all the latest versions of various components, but I
>> continually get messages saying I need this or that, or this isn't
>> compatible with that. Today alone I tried to compile and install 5
>> programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
>> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
>> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
>> directory.
>>
>> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
>> these libraries are and what they do.
>>
>> Any suggestions or comments.
>
>Oh, that. That's the 'Linux Hurdle'. You have to get over that to be allowed
>to use linux. This is especially true of users that come from the Windows
>environment; it was the same with me. It took about one solid month before I
>felt comfortable to know my way around the system. I'm still finding and
>learning things, over a year later.
>
>Windows lays out everything for you- already done. Which is Ok, but it's kinda
>like when you're little and your mom dresses you; it's all layed out and nice
>& easy, but eventually *you* want that say. Personly, I'd trade a 'cannot open
>shared object file: No such file or directory' for a 'Blah-blah has preformed
>and illegal operation, Windows will now close' any day.
>
>On large systems, which linux tends to lend itself to, if you didn't have
>shared libraries then each program would have to pack it's own: be compiled
>statically. So, take the size of your missing libgd.so and multiply that by
>each and every file that makes use of it. Now do that for every single other
>.so file on the whole system. Yes, we are talking about *alot* of room. Plus,
>what happens if that lib suddenly is found to contain a bug which lets someone
>root your system? Allllll those apps will need to be replaced. With dynamic
>libs, you just replace the library and (usually :P) you're OK. I just did this
>with Openssl from "d" to "e". Now all those apps benefit.
>
>Once you have a strong build system you won't have any more library troubles.
>Acquiring one takes a little work, and you may want/need to step outside of
>the default Slackware libraries, but they're fortunately easy to come by. Just
>stick the name of the lib in Google or another seach engine. Sometimes you can
>get precompiled ones, and Mandrake & Redhat libs also will (usually) work on
>Slackware as well. I prefer to go straight to the home site and compile it
>in-system, since I've had better luck with the stuff that's built using my own
>other libraries and tools. After you build it, run 'ldconfig' to update the
>shared lib cache, and you should be all set. There's about a half-dozen or so
>popular libraries that you find alot of apps use. Once you have those, you
>won't be hunting for libs again unless something uses some odd library (but it
>should say if it does.)

Aside from what I mentioned, some other small things I can't yet
figure out. Like, how do I get a volume control on the task bar (I'm
using KDE). I managed to get soemthing there - but it just opens up
the mixer. Also, why can't I open up more than one instance of
Netscape from the menu. When I do I get the profile editor. If I try
to open up the same profile it says I can't. I know in Windows I can
open 100 instances if I want. Yes, I can open a new window from within
Netscape - it's just easier to click on the task menu and open a new
instance. One more example. How do I clear recent documents and recent
folders? Like I said, I am fed up with Windows, but some things are
just a lot easier. If you could combine Windows and Linux - now there
would be an excellent OS.

Thanks for all the replies (except for the one idiot)

Beauford (beauford@hotpop.com) writes:
> Fed up with Windows as most users, I decided to install Slackware 10
> and see how it compared to older versions. Previously I gave up on it
> as my main OS due to too many problems getting things to work and lack
> of quality programs. Well, in just two days I see things haven't
> changed much. I figured with a fairly new version of Slack that I
> would have all the latest versions of various components, but I
> continually get messages saying I need this or that, or this isn't
> compatible with that. Today alone I tried to compile and install 5
> programs and got similar errors like this - make: ***
> [install-recursive] Error 1 or error while loading shared libraries:
> libgd.so.1.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or
> directory.
>
> Now I can get around Linux, but I'm not savvy enough to know what all
> these libraries are and what they do.
>
>
Libraries are collections of common routines.

Go back far enough in time, and every time a program needed to do
something, the code would be included. So everytime someone needed to do
I/O, they'd write the code and put it into the program.

But after a while, it was realized that plenty of programs needed the
same subroutines, so why not make them standard and take them out of
the programs? So libraries were born, separate collections of code
that didn't do anything by itself, but which programs would make use of.

Originally, you'd have one or two libraries, of very basic subroutines.
But once the concept took hold, other libraries were added, for very
specific things. These other libraries were of common things, but not
so common that everything would use them, so it made sense to keep
them separate. If you weren't using a program that needed a specific
library, then you could leave it out.

In effect, libraries let people write incomplete programs, because
they can count on the needed code being in place in those libraries
in a format that they can count on.

When writing an actual program, you could decide that the whole shebang
be included with the finished program, resulting in a very bloated program.
Every book about the C language starts with the very basic "Hello WOrld"
program, that does nothing but display those two words. But if this
was a standalone program, what should be a very small program would
be something like 10K of bytes (it was something like this in 1988
when I tried it, and that was in a computer with 64K of ram).

Back then, you might only run one program at a time, and while
including the library in a program would bloat the program, it often
made sense to include it.

But once large hard drives and large amounts of ram became common, most
of the time you'd be running various programs at the same time. It
made a lot of sense to allocate resources to the common libraries,
since that meant each of the programs could be as small as possible. Include
the libraries in each, and every single program would be carrying redundant
code.

So you want to install a program. As I said, it would usually be incomplete
nowadays, needing the libraries for the common routines. For most programs,
the needed libraries would be in place. But every so often a program
is doing something specialized that requires a special library, that the
average distribution would not include. Hence you have to install
the library in addition to the program, in order for the program to be
"complete".

Of course, this can be handled differently. If the programmer thinks
the library will be uncommon, they can again choose to include it
in the program itself, saving the user the need to track down and
install the library. If no other program is likely to use the library,
there is no real saving in keeping the library separately.

Months back, I wanted to try Audacity. I installed it, and found a library
was missing. It was something quite specific to audio tasks, which is
why it's not basic to Slackware. But then I poked around, and found
a compiled version that included the library. That version took up more
space, but I didn't have to worry about installing the library.

Of course, programs are compiled for use with specific versions of a library.
Do it wrong, and the problem may be that the needed library is in place, but
not the needed version.

Michael