Learning to compile packages

[XKT]

        Hi, Vector Linux is great and I'm still getting my hands wet with this distro but I'm having difficulties adjusting to the technical aspects of Linux. I've had it for a few months but I still have not configured my printer and I just can't get hardware acceleration enabled on my graphics card. These things do not quite bother me though, so my only request is that if is possible for someone to please provide some leads or resources on learning to compile packages. I am aware that vpackager only works for certain sources but I want to learn to compile packages that are not compatible with it. Is there also a way to remove permissions on files? I've had to transfer files between profiles because of xfce errors and I'm not always allowed to edit them.

[stretchedthin]

Hello XKT:

I've had it for a few months but I still have not configured my printer

Can't give you an exact answer without knowing the printer but there are three examples all done on VL6.0 Standard at the bottom of this page.
http://www.opensourcebistro.com/Tutorial/VL60/02.Beginners-guide/page

I just can't get hardware acceleration enabled on my graphics card.

What is the graphics card?  I can probably help here as well.

resources on learning to compile packages.

There are several ways to compile packages, you will find several examples here. There are more examples in the office application category.
http://www.opensourcebistro.com/Tutorial/VL60/13.Gaming/page

Start from here and explore the whole VL part of the site...it's young but there are over 100 screencasts to get you started.
http://www.opensourcebistro.com/Tutorial/VL60/13.Gaming/page

[rbistolfi]

There is a good document about building from source and packaging here:

http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/packaging

Stretchedthin has been working in some screencasts, check out this thread: http://forum.vectorlinux.com/index.php?topic=8608.msg62966#msg62966

You can use chmod for managing permissions of your files. Many filemanagers can do it with right click on a file or directory and clicking in a properties option. Some guys like midnight commander also (try mc in a terminal).
Many resources are available in the net about getting started in Linux, I would recommend to be patience and take step by step. A book is usually a good idea, maybe your local library has an introduction to linux available.
A good source of information about specific commands are the man pages, try in a terminal for example:

Code:

man chmod

Man pages are usually hard to read for starters though, you need some background for reading them. I like also the Slackbook: http://www.slackbook.org/
Open new threads about your printer and hw acceleration, we will try to help you with those.
Good luck, and please post any question you may have, the forum likes people wanting to learn

EDIT: stretchedthin beat me to the punch for a few seconds

[GrannyGeek]

my only request is that if is possible for someone to please provide some leads or resources on learning to compile packages. I am aware that vpackager only works for certain sources but I want to learn to compile packages that are not compatible with it. Is there also a way to remove permissions on files? I've had to transfer files between profiles because of xfce errors and I'm not always allowed to edit them.

I'm learning to create packages, too. See the topic beginning at
 http://forum.vectorlinux.com/index.php?topic=9483.msg62609#msg62609 .

To change permissions on files, you need to be root. You may find that using your file manager as root is easier than doing chown or chmod from the command line.
--GrannyGeek

[XKT]

   Thanks for the links guys, I learned a lot. (I messed with file permissions in the terminal and in the gui). The screencasts were really helpful and I manipulated some packages for practice. How can I remove packages I installed with the make, make install...commands?

-concerning my printer and graphics card, I may open new threads on them but just to let you know, my printer is a Canon ip1500 and from other users, getting the drivers and trying to install them were troublesome.

-I like retro games, and having a sidescroller that's sluggish is a problem for me. It's an Intel 810e with about 10Megs of memory and apparently is another one of those difficult devices to have run optimally on linux.   

[kidd]

   Thanks for the links guys, I learned a lot. (I messed with file permissions in the terminal and in the gui). The screencasts were really helpful and I manipulated some packages for practice. How can I remove packages I installed with the make, make install...commands?

if you installed the app with make install, usually

Code:

make uninstall   

works (as root)

if you installed it with installpkg,

Code:

removepkg app_or_tlz

HTH