Re: LYNX-DEV Porting lynx: where to start?

[Larry W. Virden, x2487]

The only pieces of software which I have ever seen which could be considered
without bugs are pieces of software not being used.

Period.

Now, as to how to start to build lynx on a new system.

1. The first thing you are going to need is a c compiler which 
seems to be working well. A Makefile is another great program to have
as well as a text editor of some sort.

In all likelihood, you will need an unzip or the gzip and a tar program as
well as the patch command.  

2. If possible, having an FTP program and a mail and/or news reader
are also useful, since using them would allow you to access bug fixes, etc.

Note that most of these can be gotten from a GNU archive or uu.net or
most Unix CD-ROM distributions.

3. The next thing needed are working libc, curses, and, if you plan
on doing anything more than displaying local html files, networking
libraries.

4. Get the lynx2-6 source distribution, as well as the lynx2-6 composite
replacement file.  These are almost always distributed in either tar or
zip file format.

5. Once you _know_ you have these things you can start.
Start by picking an area of disk with a lot of space.  I think you probably
should plan on needing 20 meg of working disk space during the build
process.  Move the source and replacement files into a working directory
where you want to build.  Extract the source, and in the same place, extract
the replacement modules.  Now, read the README and INSTALLATION files.
Reread them.  Perhaps even read them again.  Feel free to print them off
for at least one of the readings.  Also, read the userdefs.h file and
the Makefile.  During all this process, make notes of things you don't
understand.  After you have read these 4 files, take a look at a few of
the other files in the distribution.  If you are fortunate enough to
already have a way to format HTML pages either for screen viewing or
for printing, read the help files.  Read the man page.  All these
will provide you with a wider spectrum of questions and hopefully answers.

6. Before starting to port, be sure to check with the lynx-dev mailing
list, as well as with any USENET , FIDONET or email based groups related
to your OS or computer.  Perhaps someone else has either already licked
the problem, or at least knows what paths NOT to follow.

7. To begin building, you have a choice to make.  You either start with
the generic Makefile action, or you choose one of the other OS
combinations which most closely resemble your system.  If the OS in
question is known to try to provide BSD like libraries, then choosing
one of the BSD based OSes (FreeBSD or Netbsd, etc.) might be a good
place to begin.  If instead the OS tries to be POSIX or perhaps System
V like, then choose an OS like that (Linux, Solaris, whatever).

8. Once you have chosen a starting OS, run the make on the makefile.
I typically recommend not making any configurations during this first
step.  You are going to be working on 3 files anyways.

9. Make a copy of Makefile and userdefs.h.  These are the 2 files you
will typically need to edit to get lynx to build.

10. The first make is likely to output a number of error msgs.  See if
any of the msgs seem related to the various information that you have
read about in the README, INSTALLATION, Makefile and userdefs.h.
Keep around an original copy of these, in case you need to start
again.  It is likely that many will be related to various -D values
that can be set in the Makefile or #define statements that can be set
in userdefs.h.  Experiment with one setting at a time if possible.  That
way you can tell the effect caused by your change.

Your goal at this point is to get lynx to compile without error, and preferably
with as few warnings as possible.

You _may_ find that changes to the source code is necessary.  At this point,
before you do it, I recommend that you check back with lynx-dev to describe
the problem, the OS/Version/Hardware/compiler version/etc. and that will
allow folk to take a peek to see if they can help recommend what changes
are necessary.

Once you get lynx compiled, then it's time to see if you need to change
lynx.cfg (which of course you save off a copy of just in case...).  There
are a few places, but probably not a lot, of _required_ changes.  After
you get things working, then you can play with turning on additional
features.


-- 
Larry W. Virden                 INET: address@hidden
<URL:http://www.teraform.com/%7Elvirden/> <*> O- "We are all Kosh."
Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
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