Downloading and Extracting
The first necessary step is to
download
the Window Maker source distribution. From this point on, we'll assume it has
been retrieved and is residing on the local hard disk. The next step is to
extract it, and change into the source directory.
# cd /path/to/your/download
# gunzip WindowMaker-0.xx.xx.tar.gz
# tar -xf WindowMaker-0.xx.xx.tar
# cd WindowMaker-0.xx.xx
Now that things are extracted, it's time to look at the relevant pieces of
documentation. Most UNIX oriented free software packages come with a
README file, and Window Maker is
no exception. The README file contains a summary overview of what the
distribution is, what the various directories contain, and other general
information.
Next, we have the ChangeLog which
describes a list of changes since the first version. Although it usually
lists technical advancements about the distribution, it is also useful for
finding out about bug fixes and recently added features.
Moving along, we have the NEWS file.
For now, we just want to point out its existence. It will become more useful
to novice users over time. Veteran Window Maker users will find it handy for
keeping their configuration files up to date, and learning about various
changes which affect Window Maker's behavior.
The two remaining files we need to look at are
INSTALL and
BUGS.
The INSTALL file provides additional information that is necessary to install
Window Maker successfully. The BUGS file contains a list of known Window
Maker bugs. If a user feels they've found a bug in Window Maker, they should
consult the BUGS file first. If the bug isn't listed, proceed to the
Bug Tracker and see if its
there.
Compiling
After extracting the latest version of Window Maker using the previous
instructions, the next step is to compile it. First of all, the
configure script should be run. It will test to make sure
all the necessary libraries, compilers and build tools are available
on the local system. The configure script allows for various arguments
to be passed to it which relate to Window Maker's installation. For
a complete list of all configurable settings, enter:
Three commonly used configuration options are:
--prefix=DIR
--enable-kde
--enable-gnome
The first configuration option lets Window Maker be installed into a
non-default installation directory (e.g if Window Maker cannot be installed
system wide for some reason, a user can specify a path under his/her home
directory). The default installation directory is /usr/local/bin
for the wmaker binary and /usr/local/GNUstep/Apps
for the WPrefs application (the WPrefs installation directory can be specified
by using --with-appspath=DIR). Note that root access will be
needed later on during the installation process if the defaults were used.
The second and third configuration options will enable Window Maker to fully
cooperate with KDE and
GNOME respectively.
So if a user johndoe would like to install the wmaker
binary into /home/johndoe/wmaker/bin instead of the default
/usr/local/bin, and if he wishes to use Window Maker in
cooperation with KDE, the following arguments would be passed to the
configure script:
# ./configure --prefix=/home/johndoe/wmaker --enable-kde
After the configure script has been successfully executed, Window Maker can
now be compiled with the
make command; simply enter:
Now is a good time to get a drink while the compilation takes place.
Providing the compilation goes well, the final step is to install the
binaries and other support files. This is accomplished by entering:
Note that this is the step that needs to be performed by root if the default
installation directory was used, or if a directory was specified that the
running user cannot write to. If the installing user has root access, they
should first become root by issuing "
su - root". Otherwise,
reconfigure and recompile Window Maker by specifying a different installation
directory, or kindly ask the local system administator to install it
system wide.
know it
