[Xastir] XASTIR install?????

[Gerry Creager N5JXS]

OK.  Let's start with a couple of basics.
1.  You're not stupid.  (Or if you are, I can't assess it from this 
range.)
2.  You got a book and read it.  You got RedHat installed.
3.  You downloaded the xastir files.

These are what we have as facts to work with...

Now you're about to embark on what it means to be a geek, because you're 
gonna install a bt of software and then compile a program.

First, a word of caution.  Don't do all your work in linux (or any of 
the other *nix) as root.  The position is a special use deal.  *AS ROOT* 
go edit the file /etc/sudoers and add your personal user into that, and 
do all root-required things using the 'sudo' command.  This is a little 
thing, almost a "style" thing, but you'll thank me later.

Go into the directory where you stored the xastir files.  While this 
isn't necessarily always the same, in my case, it's 
'/home/gerry/xastir/' which helps me keep track of it.  There is a file 
entitled 'README.1st' which you need to go through.  It tells you what 
needs to be downloaded and installed and in what order.  While this is 
not mandatory, I found it beneficial to download all these from their 
various sources, and locate them in the xastir directory.  Most are 
available as RedHat RPMs.  For the time being, 'til you're more 
comfortable with autoconf, configure and make, that's the best way to 
go.  Later, I expect you may find it easier and more beneficial to get 
source code, and compile and install it from scratch... gives you more 
control.  Also, keep your RedHat CDs around:  In the general install, 
they might not have included some of the "stuff" (technical term) you'll 
need for xastir, like ImageMagick and OpenMotif.

When you're looking for updates and security patches... oh, yes:  If 
this computer's gonna be accessible on the internet, you need the 
updates and security patches desperately... I recommend 
ftp://ftp.freshrpms.net for accessing them.  They do a pretty good job 
at keeping up.  Other sites I use because of speed and well maintained 
archives are ftp://ftp.dulug.duke.edu and ftp://ftp.eecs.umich.edu . 
http://www.rpmfind.net can be useful and can also be confusing at times.

If you bought RedHat and have support, you also have 60 or so free days' 
use of the RedHat Network for updates using Up2Date.

Get the security patches into their own directory, *REMOVE* the kernel 
files from that directory and place them somewhere else in their own 
directory (RPM updates of kernels requires some special handling, but is 
worth it), then reread yourt book's RPM chapter concentrating on the 
Freshen flag.  Install the patches using the Freshen flag and go get a 
cup of coffee.

Now, with the files you needed for xastir in place, and security in 
better shape, move into the xastir directory, and type './configure' and 
let the program work for you.  At the end, it'll tell you what's 
available and what's not, for your installation.  If something's 
missing, it's a more intelligible way for the beginner to get the info, 
and you can come back with "It says Festival isn't installed, and I want 
my PC to talk to me. What do I do?" and we have a better shot at helping.

After you've run 'configure' then, type 'make' and let xastir compile. 
Then, as root, or using your sudo capabilities, do a 'make install' (I 
do a 'sudo make install') and let make install the files where it's 
supposed to.

THEN you can type 'xastir &' and it should play.

I'm on the road with spotty e-mail capability for the next 2 weeks. 
I'll be checking and responding as often as I can, but there's aslew of 
knowledgable folks here to help.

It looks a little daunting at first, but I don't have *any* windows 
machines anymore, save my new little Toshiba handheld (and I'm thinking 
it's going Linux soon...) so, it' possible to wean yourself off Redmond. 
  It doesn't even hurt too much!

Feel free to drop me e-mail directly with questions, or look for n5jxs 
on AIM (that's 'gaim' in Linux).

73, gerry n5jxs

patrick friend wrote:
> ok, I admit it, I am stupid. I read the whole book (Learning Red Hat Linux)
> and I finally got the energy to install Red Hat (took 2 tries to get the x
> configured and working right) but everything seems to be ok now. I can get
> online with it. I downloaded Xastir, read the docs and the faq but there
> does not seem to be an installation guide. I click on it and get a blank
> page, from the Linux box (Netscape) as well as here on my Win (Explorer)
> machine. Can someone please tell me how to get it up and running? tried
> typing "xastir &" from terminal window and I get "command not found"...tried
> using the RPM thing to install it and it says no package found. So help
> someone....oh, yeah, here's the particulars:
> It's a dedicated aprs/amatuer radio machine,
> networked through hardware router to cable modem,
> RedHat v7.2 using X and GNOME,
> Celeron 700,
> 30gig HDD,
> 256mb ram,
> 512mb swap file,
> Kam plus with newest firmware,
> yaesu ft1500 2m rig.
> 
> also any advice on how to install maps and use them? I have Street Atlas
> v8.0 and Garmin MapSource Roads and Rec v3.0. Will either of them work?
> 
> Background: I was using SA+2.15, actually been using SA+ for quite a while
> (over a year and half now), but it seems to be a real processor hog. Even
> when SA+ and Street Atlas are the only things running...it would be fine for
> a day or so, then the system clock would start losing time and when I moved
> the mouse it would hang...this happened on my first  aprs machine, which was
> a 400 Celeron running Win98SE, so I put together a completely new computer
> with the above listed hardware and I get the same problems....sooo, gonna
> try Linux and Xastir. Hope it works better for me than SA+!
> 
> Appreciate any advice.
> Thanks,
> Patrick, K7ETT
> Billings, MT
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Xastir mailing list
> Xastir at krypton.hscs.virginia.edu
> http://krypton.hscs.virginia.edu/mailman/listinfo/xastir


-- 
Gerry Creager -- gerry.creager at tamu.edu
Network Engineering, Academy for Advanced Telecommunications
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Office: 979.458.4020 FAX: 979.847.8578 Cell: 979.229.5301
Page: 979.228.0173 -or- gcreager at my2way.com