[Xastir] Fedora 9: yum install xastir - fine business but map help needed

[Curt, WE7U]

On Sun, 18 May 2008, Curt, WE7U wrote:

> That should make a link like this:
> 
> /usr/local/share/xastir -> /usr/share/xastir
> 
> So that Xastir thinks everything is in the "regular" location.
> 
> Of course I might have this backwards, depending on how your binary
> was compiled and what paths are in your Xastir config file.  It
> should give you something to work with though, so tweak as necessary
> to make it work on your system.

I should have maybe explained why the difference in paths a bit:  In
the Unix world, system stuff goes in the /usr directory, except for
/usr/local.  By "system stuff" I mean binaries and associated files
that are distributed with the operating system itself.

Things that are installed by the user (who has appropriate
privileges) generally go into the /usr/local/ area.  Xastir is set
up by default to go into /usr/local/blah-blah-blah (multiple
directories underneath there), at least if you're installing from
sources.

When Xastir is distributed _with_ the operating system, it is often
set up to install into /usr/ instead of /usr/local/, which looks
like the situation you're finding yourself in.

For what it's worth, there's yet another "standard" location things
can go in, which is /opt.  The Linux Standard Base (LSB) binary
distribution installs Xastir there, adding yet another twist to
things.  Unfortunately that's how I read the LSB standard so that's
where I make the LSB binary do it's thing.

It gets even more confusing if you're switching from one install
location to another, making symlinks like I described necessary if
you don't want to install the maps and other such files in multiple
locations (which would be really stupid).  You may also need to
rename your ~/.xastir directory to something else, then start up the
new Xastir binary so that it can create all the default data _it_
needs, then go see what it wants and create symlinks to match.  Else
if it's a permanent conversion, move all of the earlier directories
to the new locations and get rid of all the old binaries and
non-needed files.

Clear as mud?  I've been at this a while and have had multiple
configurations on here at the same time, trying to keep them all
straight, able to build various RPM's and such, and sharing the same
map/weather map/etc directories between them.  It's a pain.  It's
much easier to stick with just one if you're able.

-- 
Curt, WE7U.				archer at eskimo dot com
http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
  Lotto:  A tax on people who are bad at math. - unknown
Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates. - WE7U.
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