Re: Can't easily install LilyPond 2.6.x on Ubuntu

[Mats Bengtsson]

In addition to all the answers you have received earlier:

Mark Gibbens wrote:
> If anyone's successfully installed LilyPondon 2.6.x on Ubuntu, I'd be  
> grateful for tips.  I've tried the .package binary, but it appears not 
> to  be happy with the version of Ghostview I've got (gnome-gv  
> 1:2.8.4-0ubuntu2, gv 1:3.6.1-2). I do try and stick to the packages as  
> much as possible, so I'm a bit uneasy about needing to change my 
> Ghostview  install too...

The LilyPond package contains a newer version of Ghostscript, not
Ghostview. However, since ghostview/gv uses Ghostscript internally,
it may be that the newer Ghostscript version is incompatible with
your ghostview. One option might be to install the LilyPond package
below /usr/local/bin/, for example, which preserves your original
ghostscript (the actual program name is 'gs', by the way) in /usr/bin/.
Then you will need to have /usr/local/bin/ before /usr/bin/ in your
$PATH, at least in the shells where you run LilyPond, but tell gv to
use the original ghostscript. In gv, choose the menu item
State -> Ghostscript options and specify
/usr/bin/gs
as Interpreter.
I'm not sure where the LilyPond installer puts the files by default,
but it should be possible to install with the extra flag
./lilypond-2.6.3.x86.package --prefix=/usr/local
to put the full installation in /usr/local/ (an alternative is to
install as an ordinary user instead of as root). Another issue is
if the installer itself complains if you try to do this manouver that
gives you two different versions of ghostscript.

> Is building LilyPond from source *really* as involved as the 
> documentation  suggests?  Am I likely also to hit problems with my 
> ghostview version if I  take that route?  And how easy is it to stay on 
> top of upgrades - can new  versions be installed comfortably over old ones?

You will still need the same new version of ghostscript, so it doesn't
save you that trouble.

  /Mats