Getting Started/Build/Distributions/Debian/Source: Difference between revisions

    From KDE TechBase
    (We don't need root to install the stuff.)
    m (Text replace - "<code bash>" to "<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">")
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    First you need to add the source repositories to your installation. This is normally done by editing {{Path | /etc/apt/sources.list}} as user root and adding a line starting with <tt>deb-src</tt>:
    First you need to add the source repositories to your installation. This is normally done by editing {{Path | /etc/apt/sources.list}} as user root and adding a line starting with <tt>deb-src</tt>:
    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    kdesudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list
    kdesudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list
    </code>  
    </code>  
    Line 23: Line 23:
    Then you must let this change know to the package manager, so do as root:
    Then you must let this change know to the package manager, so do as root:


    <code bash>aptitude update</code>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">aptitude update</code>


    == Setting up the dependencies ==
    == Setting up the dependencies ==
    Line 29: Line 29:
    Now you want to be able to build a certain package, and in this example we will build the kcontrol configuration modules(aka KCM modules) and the application containing them called systemsettings. Let's say we want to see if we can maybe fix some bug in the Display configuration module, which is called <tt>randr</tt> actually. In debian the package is <tt>systemsettings</tt>, so first we will get the build dependencies of that package, so do as root:
    Now you want to be able to build a certain package, and in this example we will build the kcontrol configuration modules(aka KCM modules) and the application containing them called systemsettings. Let's say we want to see if we can maybe fix some bug in the Display configuration module, which is called <tt>randr</tt> actually. In debian the package is <tt>systemsettings</tt>, so first we will get the build dependencies of that package, so do as root:


    <code bash>aptitude build-dep systemsettings</code>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">aptitude build-dep systemsettings</code>


    This will download and install all needed dependencies which are some build tools and otherwise mostly packages with <tt>-dev</tt> at the end of them, which are in most cases a bunch of header files.
    This will download and install all needed dependencies which are some build tools and otherwise mostly packages with <tt>-dev</tt> at the end of them, which are in most cases a bunch of header files.
    Line 36: Line 36:


    As a regular user, create a new directory, and fetch the sources for the package:
    As a regular user, create a new directory, and fetch the sources for the package:
    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    mkdir ~/kde4devel
    mkdir ~/kde4devel
    cd ~/kde4devel
    cd ~/kde4devel
    Line 44: Line 44:
    This downloads the source and applies all the debian patches for you. In this case, it downloads <tt>kdebase-workspace</tt> because the systemsettings code is only a small part of the kdebase-workspace package. Now go into the newly extracted directory. This is {{Path|kdebase-workspace-4.3.2}} in my case.
    This downloads the source and applies all the debian patches for you. In this case, it downloads <tt>kdebase-workspace</tt> because the systemsettings code is only a small part of the kdebase-workspace package. Now go into the newly extracted directory. This is {{Path|kdebase-workspace-4.3.2}} in my case.


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd kdebase-workspace-4.3.2
    cd kdebase-workspace-4.3.2
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 52: Line 52:
    Now we go into the source directory, and let <tt>cmake</tt> generate the Makefiles, which are then used by the <tt>make</tt> command to build the code. This is done like this:  
    Now we go into the source directory, and let <tt>cmake</tt> generate the Makefiles, which are then used by the <tt>make</tt> command to build the code. This is done like this:  


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cmake .      # don't forget the extra space+point!
    cmake .      # don't forget the extra space+point!
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 58: Line 58:
    Later we'll have to install the built files, you probably don't want to do this as root. So it is better to call <tt>cmake</tt> like this:
    Later we'll have to install the built files, you probably don't want to do this as root. So it is better to call <tt>cmake</tt> like this:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/kde4devel/root .
    cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/kde4devel/root .
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 68: Line 68:
    Now we have makefiles that will only build what we chose to build in the <tt>cmake-gui</tt> program. So now you can execute the <tt>make</tt> command to start:
    Now we have makefiles that will only build what we chose to build in the <tt>cmake-gui</tt> program. So now you can execute the <tt>make</tt> command to start:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    make
    make
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 79: Line 79:
    We will now go to the directory of the randr module we want to develop on:
    We will now go to the directory of the randr module we want to develop on:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd kcontrol/randr
    cd kcontrol/randr
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 85: Line 85:
    Edit some file, and then rebuild simply by running <tt>make</tt> again in this directory:
    Edit some file, and then rebuild simply by running <tt>make</tt> again in this directory:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    make
    make
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 92: Line 92:
    Likewise we can change something in a source file in the <tt>systemsettings</tt> source directory, and rebuild it using <tt>make</tt>
    Likewise we can change something in a source file in the <tt>systemsettings</tt> source directory, and rebuild it using <tt>make</tt>


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings
    make
    make
    Line 104: Line 104:
       
       
    You go into the {{Path|systemsettings/app}} directory, and there start that self-compiled code like this:  
    You go into the {{Path|systemsettings/app}} directory, and there start that self-compiled code like this:  
    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings/app
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings/app
    ./systemsettings
    ./systemsettings
    Line 111: Line 111:
    This will indeed run your new code. But it is better to first install it into your {{path|~/kde4devel/root}} directory so everything is setup correctly in a certain hierarchy, because the systemsettings program might need to find or access certain files to function properly. You do this with the simple command <tt>make install</tt> in the main directory of the application or module you just built:
    This will indeed run your new code. But it is better to first install it into your {{path|~/kde4devel/root}} directory so everything is setup correctly in a certain hierarchy, because the systemsettings program might need to find or access certain files to function properly. You do this with the simple command <tt>make install</tt> in the main directory of the application or module you just built:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings
    cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings
    make install
    make install
    Line 126: Line 126:
    We need to tell our current console session the additional KDE path where it needs to look for services and libraries and programs. This is done by filling in the <tt>KDEDIRS</tt> environment variable like this:
    We need to tell our current console session the additional KDE path where it needs to look for services and libraries and programs. This is done by filling in the <tt>KDEDIRS</tt> environment variable like this:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    export KDEDIRS=$HOME/kde4devel/root
    export KDEDIRS=$HOME/kde4devel/root
    </code>
    </code>
    Line 132: Line 132:
    Now when we start the systemsettings module in this console session it will find the kcontrol configuration module located in {{path|~/kde4devel/root/lib/kde4/kcm_randr.so}} before the one in {{path|~/kde4devel/root/kde4/kcm_randr.so}}:
    Now when we start the systemsettings module in this console session it will find the kcontrol configuration module located in {{path|~/kde4devel/root/lib/kde4/kcm_randr.so}} before the one in {{path|~/kde4devel/root/kde4/kcm_randr.so}}:


    <code bash>
    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
    cd ~/kde4devel/root
    cd ~/kde4devel/root
    ./systemsettings
    ./systemsettings

    Revision as of 20:40, 29 June 2011

    Introduction

    This tutorial is intented for people who are using Debian, and want to check out or test some idea on existing KDE code without much hassle.

    This tutorial shows a way of easily downloading and compiling and running the KDE software that is used on your Debian system.

    Getting started

    First you need to add the source repositories to your installation. This is normally done by editing /etc/apt/sources.list as user root and adding a line starting with deb-src: <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> kdesudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list

    The easy way is to copy your existing deb line onto a new line, and change deb to deb-src:

    deb http://ftp.belnet.be/debian testing main contrib non-free deb-src http://ftp.belnet.be/debian testing main contrib non-free #almost a copy of line 1

    In most(all?) of the cases this will work.

    Then you must let this change know to the package manager, so do as root:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">aptitude update

    Setting up the dependencies

    Now you want to be able to build a certain package, and in this example we will build the kcontrol configuration modules(aka KCM modules) and the application containing them called systemsettings. Let's say we want to see if we can maybe fix some bug in the Display configuration module, which is called randr actually. In debian the package is systemsettings, so first we will get the build dependencies of that package, so do as root:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">aptitude build-dep systemsettings

    This will download and install all needed dependencies which are some build tools and otherwise mostly packages with -dev at the end of them, which are in most cases a bunch of header files.

    Getting the source

    As a regular user, create a new directory, and fetch the sources for the package: <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> mkdir ~/kde4devel cd ~/kde4devel apt-get source systemsettings

    This downloads the source and applies all the debian patches for you. In this case, it downloads kdebase-workspace because the systemsettings code is only a small part of the kdebase-workspace package. Now go into the newly extracted directory. This is kdebase-workspace-4.3.2 in my case.

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd kdebase-workspace-4.3.2

    Building the source

    Now we go into the source directory, and let cmake generate the Makefiles, which are then used by the make command to build the code. This is done like this:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cmake . # don't forget the extra space+point!

    Later we'll have to install the built files, you probably don't want to do this as root. So it is better to call cmake like this:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/kde4devel/root .

    cmake supports a nice Qt GUI to configure your build process. If you have the package cmake-qt-gui installed, you can replace cmake with cmake-gui. More information on cmake is available in the CMake Tutorial.

    With cmake-gui it is easy to select only the components starting with BUILD_ you want. In my case it was rather the components I'm sure of that I didn't want :). So I ended up with only BUILD_kcontrol and systemsettings and didn't touch any of the other settings below. Then click on the Configure button and, if successful, then on the Generate button. Close the program now.

    Now we have makefiles that will only build what we chose to build in the cmake-gui program. So now you can execute the make command to start:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> make

    Now it is building!


    Changing the source

    We will now go to the directory of the randr module we want to develop on:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd kcontrol/randr

    Edit some file, and then rebuild simply by running make again in this directory:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> make

    The module is now being rebuilt. Likewise we can change something in a source file in the systemsettings source directory, and rebuild it using make

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings make

    To have a full rebuild of the code, first do make clean before the make command.

    Running the program

    This may be somewhat difficult, but we start easy ;)

    You go into the systemsettings/app directory, and there start that self-compiled code like this: <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings/app ./systemsettings

    This will indeed run your new code. But it is better to first install it into your ~/kde4devel/root directory so everything is setup correctly in a certain hierarchy, because the systemsettings program might need to find or access certain files to function properly. You do this with the simple command make install in the main directory of the application or module you just built:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/systemsettings make install cd ~/kde4devel/kdebase-workspace-4.3.2/kcontrol/randr make install

    However! Here is the difficult part... We already have a systemsettings program installed: the one installed by the Debian system in /usr/bin/systemsettings. So you will now find that we have a second one of our own in ~/kde4devel/root/bin/systemsettings.

    Note
    So remember this: Debian installs everything under /usr and your programs end up under ~/kde4devel/root/local


    The make install command copied more than only the executable file! It also copied e.g. ~/kde4devel/root/lib/kde4/kcm_randr.so. So when we start our "local" systemsettings program, we want to make sure it first finds the files it installed under ~/kde4devel/root, and not first the files installed by Debian under /usr.

    We need to tell our current console session the additional KDE path where it needs to look for services and libraries and programs. This is done by filling in the KDEDIRS environment variable like this:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> export KDEDIRS=$HOME/kde4devel/root

    Now when we start the systemsettings module in this console session it will find the kcontrol configuration module located in ~/kde4devel/root/lib/kde4/kcm_randr.so before the one in ~/kde4devel/root/kde4/kcm_randr.so:

    <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> cd ~/kde4devel/root ./systemsettings

    And you will now see your own compiled code in action!

    Conclusion

    Now you have completed compiling and running your own compiled code, you are ready to check out the other tutorials here and gain some deeper insights!