new linux install guide?

[kolben]

Hi,

i have been a fan of ubuntu for a while, but since unity it sucked-a-lot and is becomming worse. right now i am using debian stable.

Most recently i had problems with libboost, as far as i can remember, spring is using an older version, 1.37 or so.
To be able to compile spring, there are three ways:
1. hacking spring, to compile with newer libboost versions, 1.42 and newer.
2. downgrade libboost to 1.37 systemwide.
3. installing the older version of libboost in spring source directory, and change the make/cmake files to use it.

as this problem arose every time i compiled a new version, i would really like to have an update of the spring compiling-on-linux howto.

also i like to hear other experiences in solving this and other problems, when compiling spring.

And then i want to ask a special question:
What Other Linux Distribution Can Be Recommended For Playing Spring?
Mint? Arch? Redhat?

If there is another Fred concerning bestest Distrubition, pls give-a-link :)

Greetings, LoetKolben

[gajop]

At this point it may be best to change any compile guides to static installs as the recommended way of getting Spring in case there are no distributino packages.
It's way easier for the non-experts.

You are free to do it if you want to, but most devs are too busy doing other stuff, and if they weren't, they would add multi-engine (automatic static download) support for SpringLobby.

[abma]

Most recently i had problems with libboost, as far as i can remember, spring is using an older version, 1.37 or so.

no, thats wrong. you misinterpret something here. spring uses the installed libboost on your system, if you install an old version spring tries to use it. on the win32 buildslaves afaik boost 1.50 is used, for the linux static builds it should be the same (not sure).

i personally can only recommend >= 12.04 ubuntu for spring.

what problems did you have with which version of libboost? without providing details its impossible to help.

[NeonStorm]

you can dl the source, unzip it and simply use:
cmake ./
make

it takes some time and gives you a directory containing 2.7 GB (Spring 91.0) or 50-70 MB (Spring 93.2 ... 94.1).

Is the make file cleaned up or did I something differently for 91.0?

On Kubuntu from October 2012 it works fine.


I am still searching for a good linux distro, but I know what I want:
* fast (kde produces sometimes lag spikes)
* reliable (spring can freeze whole kde)
* support for different theme engines (QT, GTK, etc)
Because I need only a few programs, but these should look like I want them to.

[kolben]

ok.. then i try again to build spring..

first step: get sources
$ git clone -b master git://github.com/spring/spring.git
as mentioned here:
http://springrts.com/wiki/Download

building guide can be found here:
http://springrts.com/wiki/Building_Spring_on_Linux

this site tells me to get these packages (on debian):

aptitude install build-essential zlib1g-dev libfreetype6-dev cmake libsdl1.2-dev libopenal-dev libglew-dev zip libvorbis-dev libxcursor-dev libdevil-dev libboost-system1.37-dev libboost-system1.37-thread-dev libboost-system1.37-regex-dev libboost-system1.37-serialization-dev libboost-system1.37-program-options-dev

all libboost-system1.37-* packages are not avaiable in normal debian stable, so i try with libboost-system-dev.

next step:
cmake .
one warning:
WARNING: you are using the obsolete 'GLU' package, please use 'OpenGL' instead

next step:
make

this takes a while....

after a while the first error occurs:
[ 31%] Building CXX object rts/builds/default/CMakeFiles/engine-default.dir/__/__/Rendering/Shaders/GLSLCopyState.cpp.o
~/spring/rts/Rendering/Shaders/GLSLCopyState.cpp: In function ‘void CopyShaderState_TransformFeedback(GLuint, GLuint)’:
~/spring/rts/Rendering/Shaders/GLSLCopyState.cpp:361: error: invalid conversion from ‘GLint’ to ‘GLint*’
~/spring/rts/Rendering/Shaders/GLSLCopyState.cpp:361: error: too many arguments to function
make[2]: *** [rts/builds/default/CMakeFiles/engine-default.dir/__/__/Rendering/Shaders/GLSLCopyState.cpp.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [rts/builds/default/CMakeFiles/engine-default.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

after looking around a bit - for example trying to install opengl (mesa on debian) instead of glu - i determined: compilation failed.

it would be really nice to now, which distribution the developers are using, and the bonus: nvidia or amd graphics? i got stuck with nvidia, cause linux support was better back some years ago.

[abma]

glew is to old it seems:

http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=29730

also debian stable is imo to old to be used on a desktop computer.

[kolben]

hmk thanx, switching from squeeze to wheezy right now.

will report soon.

[kolben]

switching from debian stable to debian testing was no good idea.
it took quite long, and the result was: really slow machine. pc froze every time the screen saver kicked in.
so i made a backup and prepared installation of another linux distrubition:
linux mint 14 mate. installing from sd card, some updates, some extra packages i need (nvidia), fine, mint looks similar to a linux i am used to for a decade.

i can recommend that for people who like the older gnome 2 style. linux mate is debian testing with other display managers. ok, that is not the topic. (hey, they got a w2k theme!!)

again: compiling spring on linux.

getting packages for compiling:
sudo apt-get install build-essential zlib1g-dev libfreetype6-dev cmake libsdl1.2-dev libopenal-dev libglew-dev zip libvorbis-dev libxcursor-dev libdevil-dev
sudo apt-get install libboost-dev libboost-thread-dev libboost-regex-dev libboost-serialization-dev libboost-program-options-dev libboost-signals-dev

do:
cmake .
make
sudo make install

then springlobby:
http://projects.springlobby.info/projec ... FromSource

packages needed:
sudo apt-get install build-essential automake libwxgtk2.8-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libalure-dev libboost-filesystem-dev libnotify-dev

again:
cmake .
make
sudo make install

after start of springlobby no game is playable, maps and mods are missing.
the directories ~/.spring/mods and ~/.spring/maps had to be created by hand.

but the great thing is: spring is up and running again :D

[SpliFF]

Debian has never been a good fit for desktop / gaming. Packages and the kernel are updated too infrequently to enjoy cutting edge tech unless you do it all yourself. A system like ArchLinux on the other hand is much easier to get new stuff running quickly (especially with AUR setup). Unlike Ubuntu though ArchLinux aims for minimalist approach so you really get only what you need (ask for). Debian is a good system for ultra-secure servers as its stable packages are typically chosen based on long periods of testing. When Debian say a package is "unstable" they actually mean it is stable. When they say a package is "stable" they mean it will survive armageddon.

I used to recommend Gentoo but I've found that packages break too often due to the impossibly large number of permutations in package choices and compile flags. It's still good if you're hardcore and don't mind debugging C++ and compiler issues but it's too "hands on" for a typical user.

SUSE used to be fantastic but I think it's waned in the last 10 years. Sabayon and Mint get good recommendations as well but I have no personal experience with either. CentOS is fantastic for servers but I haven't used it on a desktop. Avoid Mandriva like the plague (all "non-free" stuff required to eg, read a DVD requires a secret dance to find and install).

My new laptop is ArchLinux. It took less than an hour to install and configure (that's like a few minutes in Linux terminology). I have XFCE running the way I like with bluetooth and WIFI running seamlessly. Arch is an early adopter of systemd though so prepare for a learning curve even if you are an experienced linux user. On the plus side though systemd has reduced my boot time to X login to a few seconds.

[varikonniemi]

Manjaro Linux is Arch with most of the stupid gruntwork automated.

It is still nowhere near as polished as some distros out there, but a good start in making the arch base accessible.

http://manjaro.org/

[kolben]

new dependency detected:

apt-get install libboost-chrono-dev


git pull
cmake .
make
sudo make install

[albator]

Mint debian LMDE (stable) + static build for the win. not a single crashes in a couple of k-hours game

[abma]

@kolben:

thanks added to the wiki page, hopefully i didn't miss one...

http://springrts.com/wiki/Building_Spring_on_Linux

(you can edit the page too, its a wiki ^^)

[luckywaldo7]

Mint debian LMDE (stable) + static build for the win. not a single crashes in a couple of k-hours game

+1 for the static linux builds.

[kolben]

spring 96 is out. follow steps above or update your sources:

git pull //very fast
cmake . // some errors, boost::test
make // wait some time (~50mins here)
sudo make install

done.

[liotier]

Before I thrust myself into this adventure to supply my Linux-loving friends with an immediately usable Spring+BA+maps+lobby tar.gz archive, does anyone maintain and distribute a Spring static build ? Would anyone be interested in such effort ?

[dansan]

does anyone maintain and distribute a Spring static build ?

http://springrts.com/wiki/Download

[liotier]

does anyone maintain and distribute a Spring static build ?

http://springrts.com/wiki/Download

Thanks... I was so fixated on the Debian-specific stuff that I had overlooked this utterly obvious resource...

Next - the same for a lobby... I just searched again to avoid a second RTFM-worthy question. I found http://springlobby.info/temp/static/ but the timestamps hint that they have not been updated for a while.

[malric]

If you are not against java, you can try as lobby: http://weblobby.springrts.com/ . It automatically downloads static builds, mods and maps. I am using it on Arch Linux and it worked great for what I need.

[Anarchid]

Admonition CCX: Works better with Oracle java.