"./configure" and "make" not working

[errol]

Sorry to have so many problems but a new one has come up. After "untaring" a file I type ./configure in the appropriate folder and get the message "command not found". The same when I type "make" . Any ideas why?
TIA
Errol

[Snowhog]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

You need to have the compiler and appropriate linux headers installed. Open Adept Manager and search on compiler and you will (most likely) find you don't have one installed. On my HH system I have installed:

g++
g++-4.2
gcc
gcc-3.3-base
gcc-4.1
gcc-4.1-base
gcc-4.2
gcc-4.2-base
pkg-config

Then search on linux-headers
You want to have the headers for your installed kernels. Again, on my HH system I have installed:

linux-headers-2.6.24-16
linux-headers-2.6.24-16-generic
linux-headers-generic

[Rog131]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

Do you have ?

build-essential

informational list of build-essential packages

This package contains an informational list of packages which are
considered essential for building Debian packages. This package also
depends on the packages on that list, to make it easy to have the
build-essential packages installed.

More: FAQ: Installing from source

[Snowhog]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

Thanks Rog! I knew I was forgetting something.

[daihard]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

Sorry to have so many problems but a new one has come up. After "untaring" a file I type ./configure in the appropriate folder and get the message "command not found". The same when I type "make" . Any ideas why?
TIA
Errol

I will not repeat the "build essentials" because two experts have already pointed it out for you. My only question is, do you have the file called "configure" in the root directory of thar file that you untarred?

[errol]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

As this happens on several untarred files I think the problem must be with the first solution suggested. I'm going to try that one soon and report back. This is a new formatted installation ok Hardy so why shouldn't the compiling files be installed?

[Snowhog]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

This is a new formatted installation ok Hardy so why shouldn't the compiling files be installed?

One might just as well ask why all 22,000+ packages aren't installed also. They aren't. Compiling from source isn't what most packaged Linux distribution users are apt to do, so the packages to support such are not installed by default.

[daihard]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

One might just as well ask why all 22,000+ packages aren't installed also. They aren't. Compiling from source isn't what most packaged Linux distribution users are apt to do, so the packages to support such are not installed by default.

I agree. You can make the installer install everything by default, or keep the installed system minimal and let the user choose more advanced packages. Distributions like Fedora are closer to the former, thereby providing an installer DVD. OTOH, the Kubuntu installer media fits in a CD, and the base system is pretty light-weight. It is a matter of principle.

[kubicle]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

./configure is not a system command, it tries to run the configure script from current working directory. If there isn't one, read the README or INSTALL files of the source package for installation instructions (it might use cmake instead, for example).

As already mentioned, you need 'build-essential' package to run 'make'.

[daihard]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

./configure is not a system command, it tries to run the configure script from current working directory. If there isn't one, read the README or INSTALL files of the source package for installation instructions (it might use cmake instead, for example).

A good point about cmake. Looks like more and more projects are shifting away from autoconf and leaning towards cmake... like KDE.

[errol]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

It looks like I had both problems. Missing GCC files which I installed AND it seems that the "configure" file doesn't exist. Could someone please write more about using "cmake", I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Errol

[daihard]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

It looks like I had both problems. Missing GCC files which I installed AND it seems that the "configure" file doesn't exist. Could someone please write more about using "cmake", I'd appreciate it.

Does the tarball include any README file? If so, it should describe how you should proceed with the build process, including whether or not it actually uses cmake (or any other build system).

[errol]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

Yes it does iclude a "readme" file. I'll follow the instructions. Thanks to all who set me on the path to a solution.
Errol

[stealthbanana]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

May I ask what you are trying to install?

You may find it has dependencies that it will complain about. Take note of what these are and install the relevant libfoobar-dev package. This will give you the development headers to allow other applications to be compiled against the library.

As to package selection, you should not, and indeed cannot install everything as many packages will conflict with one another, for example xpdf is not compatible with poppler as they both supply the same thing. Having many firewall apps would be silly as would multiple different webservers etc. The system is designed for desktop use from the word go, but can become a development system by choosing the relevant packages.

It is always easier to choose a precompiled deb package than compiling your own, but then again there is nothing like rolling your own (LFS anyone?)

[errol]

Re: "./configure" and "make" not working

I'm happy to share my "bigger problem" with you.
At the base of everything is the attempt to install a program called iota. If it's what I hope, it is supposed to be a program to database photographs which are on or off the computer - similar to a program call imatch which does the job in Windows. I won't know until I try it if it does the job.
In order to install it I need (according to the site of iota) berkely DB and imagemagick. I have tried to install those through apt-get with not much success. I then downloaded the tar of each of those two programs and came across the compile problem.
Errol