[mdlug] OT - Gimp plugin.

[Mark Kimsal]

On Friday 09 January 09, Jonathan Billings wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 08, 2009 at 10:46:58PM -0500, Garry Stahl wrote:
> > It is getting more complicated here.  YAST tells me I have the gimp
> > development package installed, but no gimptools showing up.  I'll keep
> > banging on it.
>
> Do you have the package that includes glib.h?  I believe for
> debian/ubuntu it's either libglib2-dev or libglib1.2-dev -- depending
> if you need GLIB1.2 or GLIB2.0.  This should be covered by the
> documentation.  Both glib1.2 and glib2.0 have a glib.h header, so the
> only way you can use it is to refer to the /usr/include/glib1.2 or
> /usr/include/glib2.0 directories in the configure/Makefile.
>
> Don't get too frustrated.  There are a lot of software projects out
> there that release software that is rather difficult to build, and
> even an experienced linux developer ends up having to patch it to make
> it work.  A lot of times it's because the source code you're using is
> out of date, or the original developer got it working in a particular
> setup, but neglected to include all the dependency checking so other
> people could use it.   It's the nature of open source, I'm afraid.

What I still don't understand is the odd belief by distro makers that, 
somehow, their users won't need to compile anything, and therefore, do not 
need make, gcc, or any *-devel packages.  Are they trying to save 10 Meg or 
something?  It really makes linux look bad when people run into really 
hard-to-decipher error messages, when all they're missing is "{apt|yum|urpmi} 
someprog-devel".  It's a complete waste of human effort and time just to save 
a relatively tiny amount of disk space.  Seriously, when was the last time 
you were low in disk space and thought, "Oh, I'll remove all my -devel 
pacakges!"

I have yet to use a distro where I didn't need to compile at least one thing, 
and I don't think I've personally met any person who has used linux for any 
moderate length of time and who didn't want/need to compile something.

I like distros like gobolinux and gentoo, which don't require you to install 
separate -devel pacakges, but I don't like the fact that they are very 
focused around the end-user compiling everything (minus a few large binary 
packages).

Whoever made the decision that some .h files should be put into a *-devel 
package should be publicly flogged. (and by "publicly" I mean, put on 
youtube)


Show of hands if you've never had to compile anything (yet).


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Mark Kimsal
http://biz.metrofindings.com/
fax: 866-375-1590