KDE Solaris
KDE on Solaris FAQ
Just what it says, those questions that come up time after time after time.
If you have a FAQ you'd like to see (or better yet, have already written), contact the webmasters.
Questions
- What must I have working and configured before I install KDE on Solaris?
- OK, I have all that. Where can I officially get KDE for Solaris?
- What's the difference between GCC and Sun Studio compiled packages?
- What is the proper order to install the various KDE components?
- I am having difficulty getting KDE on Solaris working properly. Where can I get some help?
- I already have installed KDE, what's the easiest way to upgrade to the latest version?
- Why don't you guys support KDE 1.x/2.x anymore? My favorite KDE application won't work with KDE3!
- Why doesn't (some kde aplication) work with Solaris, when it works perfectly under Linux?
- How can I make arts play nicely with xmms (or any other sound application)?
- How can I view Flash Websites in KDE's Konqueror.
- How do I get kdm to work?
- I installed KDE from packages and added kdm to /etc/ttys, but it doesn't work?!
- A KDE application crashed and I want to file a bug report at http://bugs.kde.org, but the backtrace in the KDE Crash Manager is "useless". What can I do?
- Hey, are there official maintainers for KDE on Solaris??
- KDE on Solaris is pretty nice. How do I help?
Answers
What must I have working and configured before I install KDE on Solaris?
A properly configured installation of Solaris 8 or higher (we currently support Solaris 8, 9, and 10 SPARC/x86).
OK, I have all that. Where can I officially get KDE for Solaris?
Binary distributions are available for download from
- KDE and its mirrors [Sun Studio 9 and GCC3 builds]
- Blastwave [CSWkde_gcc]
- University of Valladolid [GCC3 and Sun Studio 9 builds]
What's the difference between GCC and Sun Studio compiled packages?
You will need Sun Studio compilers to build apps for the Sun Studio compiled versions of KDE, and GCC for the GCC compiled versions.
With the right optimizations, the Sun Studio compilers for UltraSPARC processors generate faster code.
What is the proper order to install the various KDE components?
Qt, arts, kdelibs, kdebase. The installation order of the other KDE modules (kdeedu, kdegames, kdegraphics, etc.) does not really matter, except that (if you install it) kdeaddons must be installed after all other modules.
I am having difficulty getting KDE on Solaris working properly. Where can I get some help?
- The KDE for Solaris Mailing List is probably the best place to start.
- If that doesn't solve the problem, try the general KDE FAQ's or KDE bugs page.
- Developer sites are another good source of information.
- KDE for Solaris is usually an good place to find answers to all sorts of questions!.
I already have installed KDE, what's the easiest way to upgrade to the latest version?
Blastwave uses a 'pkg-get' feature to update packages. Other distributors use other methods.
Why don't you guys support KDE 1.x/2.x anymore? My favorite KDE application won't work with KDE3!
There may be maintainers that can help you port your app to the current KDE version.
Unless there is a really overriding need to stick with KDE 1.x/2.x, we suggest you migrate to the current version of KDE.
The first thing to note is that you must delete all of your KDE2 and QT2 packages, KDE2 and KDE3 can not co-exist. So, make sure that any required KDE2 applications have been ported to KDE3 before upgrading (QT2 applications may or may not function properly under QT3).
After checking carefully (i.e., there are no KDE, arts or QT packages listed), you can proceed to install KDE!.
Why doesn't (some kde aplication) work with Solaris, when it works perfectly under Linux?
Unfortunately, many programs have not been written with portability in mind, and as such may not work on Solaris. Some APIs (application programming interfaces) that may be used are not supported by Solaris, quite often for technical or political reasons.
How can I make arts play nicely with xmms (or any other sound application)?
Let's start with ls /dev/dsp*. If you get a list like this (and you probably will, most modern sound cards will be auto set up this way) you're already good to go:
/dev/dsp /dev/dsp0.0 /dev/dsp0.2 /dev/dsp0 /dev/dsp0.1 /dev/dsp0.3
If you only have dsp + dsp0, or possibly dsp0.0, you need to set some things up by hand. Put the following two lines into /etc/sysctl.conf:
hw.snd.pcm0.vchans=4
hw.snd.maxautovchans=4
In the KDE Control Center, tell arts to use /dev/dsp0.1. If you use esd, tell it to use /dev/dsp0.2 (just don't ask me how to do that, I don't use esd). Applications like XMMS and others will continue to use the defaults (/dev/dsp0 or /dev/dsp0.0) and you will still have /dev/dsp0.3 if you come up with anything else that still clashes.
How can I view Flash Websites in KDE's Konqueror.
Yes. There is a MacroMedia Flash plug-in for Solaris.
Ask Macromedia
for a native Solaris plugin and installation notes.
You can also use the Mozilla browser for most needs.
How do I get kdm to work?
Put this line into /etc/ttys:
ttyv8 "/usr/local/bin/kdm -nodaemon" xterm on secure
I installed KDE from packages and added kdm to /etc/ttys, but it doesn't work?!
You need to configure kdm first. The default kdm configuration files are copied into ${PREFIX}/share/config/kdm/default/. To use those, copy them to ${PREFIX}/share/config/kdm/. (**)
If you already have a configuration in place and want to update it (to merge default settings for new features in after a KDE update for example), run genkdmconf without any arguments.
(**) ${PREFIX} is /usr/local by default
A KDE application crashed and I want to file a bug report at http://bugs.kde.org, but the backtrace in the KDE Crash Manager is "useless". What can I do?
DrKonqi . To get backtraces from crashing applications on Solaris you need to run them in gdb or use Dtrace (Solaris 10). Additionally most of the Solaris binary packages are not compiled with debugging information enabled, so you will probably have to recompile them first:
- To enable debugging support in a KDE port, build it with WANT_KDE_DEBUG defined. You can set it on the commandline (example: make -DWANT_KDE_DEBUG && make install or put it into /etc/make.conf (WANT_KDE_DEBUG=YES. A similar switch exists for enabling debugging symbols in QT: WANT_QT_DEBUG. Note that those switches ONLY work in the ports of the main KDE module ports like kdebase, kdemultimedia, arts, etc. They will not work in ports of 3rd party KDE apps like for example kmldonkey or kbear.
- To run an application in gdb, do: gdb /path/to/application. This will give you a prompt:
(gdb)
You can run the program now by typing run:
(gdb) run
Then you make the program crash. You will be returned to the prompt. Type bt:
(gdb) bt
and you will get the backtrace you want. Some KDE applications spawn a new process after being launched and thus don't stay under gdb's control - an example for such an application is kmail. To debug those, you need to type
(gdb) set args --nofork
prior to run on the gdb prompt.
Hey, are there official maintainers for KDE on Solaris??
Yes. The some of KDE for Solaris maintainers/supporters are:
- Jamie Penalba (corenetworks.es, GCC)
- Stefan Teleman (nyc.rr.com, Sun Studio)
- Sergio Rodriguez de Guzman (corenetworks.es, GCC)
- Ken Mays (earthlink.net & blastwave.org, GCC/Sun Studio)
- Claudiu Costin
- Tobias Oetiker (http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~oetiker/kde-solaris, GCC)
- Eva Brucherseifer (kde.org)
- as well as the core developers/maintainers of KDE!!!!
(Note: check the archives at: kde-solaris as there are many others.)
The KDE on Solaris Team is currently organized and posted on the main page! ;o>.
KDE on Solaris is pretty nice. How do I help?
Subscribe to the KDE Solaris mailing list, don't be shy, and ask!!
Another good place is on KDE Support Page. There are lots of things that need doing.
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