Porting to (what flavour of) Linux

[xProgrammer]

I purchased FiveWin / xHarbour to develop a package which I really want to run on Linux. Because of familiarity with Windows environment and looking at levels of activity in these forums I have "prorotyped" it in Windows environment but only used the standard windows classes (window, dialog, say, get, get memo, button, menu and listbox), The only fancy thing I am doing is controlling Word.

Now I am ready (but slightly fearful) to start migrating it to Linux and OpenOffice.

But I have a few questions.

1. What Linux distribution should I use? (I have a server box running Centos 5 - debadged Red Hat Enterprise and workstations are currently Fedora Core but happy to change if either easier or better support available)

2. Any advice from those who have bravely gone before?

3. Can anyone give any pointers re controlling Open Office from xHarbour/FiveLinux under Linux?

4. I understand the commercial reality that there isn't much revenue for Five Tech from the Five Linux package given small user base but are there any developments happening in this area? If I take out another subscription are you happy to provide support as required? What distribution(s)?

5. The copy I downloaded of Five Linux had an install but not installx etc as listed in the help file - am I missing some bits

6. What if anything are the FiveLinux users doing re context sensitive help? Should we be working on a simple cross platform FiveWin / FiveLinux help system?

Sorry for so many questions but this project is important (to me at least!) and I suspect that there may be others in a similar position.

[Antonio Linares]

> 1. What Linux distribution should I use ?

You may use the one that you prefeer, though we strongly recommend Ubuntu. Its the most popular and easy to configure Linux distribution. If you visit IRC channels, you will see Ubuntu is the most crowded one. We also use it, I am typing this msg from Ubuntu 7.04

> 2. Any advice from those who have bravely gone before?

We know of a few of our users that already migrated to FiveLinux and are very satisfied.

>
3. Can anyone give any pointers re controlling Open Office from xHarbour/FiveLinux under Linux?
>

We haven't done research about it, but surely there is lot of information about it in google

>
4. I understand the commercial reality that there isn't much revenue for Five Tech from the Five Linux package given small user base but are there any developments happening in this area? If I take out another subscription are you happy to provide support as required? What distribution(s)?
>

We plan to keep supporting FiveLinux as Linux users base is growing, and many experts agree that Linux is going to get more and more market share

>
5. The copy I downloaded of Five Linux had an install but not installx etc as listed in the help file - am I missing some bits
>

You may need a rebuilt FiveLinux version. No problem about it

>
6. What if anything are the FiveLinux users doing re context sensitive help? Should we be working on a simple cross platform FiveWin / FiveLinux help system?
>

We need to do research about it. We have not done it before as there has not been requests about it yet

[Antonio Linares]

[xProgrammer]

Thanks for the advice - I'd better get started - and send in a new subscription

xProgrammer

[xProgrammer]

I downloaded FLH files again. (Don't think they have changed)

copied to Linux PC. did chmod o=x fivelinux.exe

that ran fine

BUT

The readme file says:

Dear FiveLinux user,

FiveTech Software is proud to present you our FiveLinux 1.0 release.

Please remember that the EXE files are Linux applications. In order to execute them from Linux you
may do:

chmod o=x fivelinux.exe
chmod o=x install.exe
chmod o=x installx.exe

So then you can type ./fivelinux.exe and so to execute them.

We want to thank you for all the feedback you provide us, that helps
FiveTech products get better and better. Thanks!

best regards,

Antonio Linares
www.fivetechsoft.com

But the only install or installx I could see was source code (.prg files) in the created samples directory.

I understand that they install Harbour / xHarbour - but I only have source (I think).

I could install xHarbour I guess but your documentation says not to - to use the build you provide or else you have to recompile everything.

Maybe these questions just show how little I know but I am stuck and need help PLEASE!

Also do you have a list of what additional packages I need to have installed?

PC was running Centos 5 but as per your suggestion I am downloading Ubuntu (7.04 worstation)

xProgrammer

[Antonio Linares]

Doug,

Please notice that you have to download install.exe and harbour.bin for Harbour, and installx.exe and xharbour.bin for xHarbour.

Then you do:
chmod +x ./installx.exe

and
./installx.exe

xHarbour folder is created, in your home directory, with bin, include, lib and samples

[Antonio Linares]

In order to run FiveLinux on Ubuntu, you need to install these packages:

sudo apt-get install libgtk2.0-dev
sudo apt-get install gcc
sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev
sudo apt-get install libgpmg1-dev
sudo apt-get install libgnomeprintui2.2-dev

[xProgrammer]

Antonio

When you say:

"Please notice that you have to download install.exe and harbour.bin for Harbour, and installx.exe and xharbour.bin for xHarbour. "

Where from? I gather that these are files you provide but I cant see them. Hopefully the rest I understand.

When I've worked it all out with your help maybe I should write it up to ease the path for others making the same transition and starting out with the same lack of knowledge that I have.

xProgrammer

[Antonio Linares]

Doug,

Please download Harbour and xHarbour for Linux from here:

http://www.fivetechsoft.com/files/install.exe
http://www.fivetechsoft.com/files/harbour.bin

http://www.fivetechsoft.com/files/installx.exe
http://www.fivetechsoft.com/files/xharbour.bin

Please feel welcome to make as many questions as needed

[Antonio Linares]

Doug,

Our FTDN download webpage was not ok, now it is fixed and it properly shows the files to download.

Many thanks for your feedback

[xProgrammer]

Antonio

Thanks for your help. I'm sure I'll make it with your ongoing support.

Thanks

Doug

[xProgrammer]

Antonio

Re the FTDN page - is FWPPC supposed to be there? I have a Dell one and some day I might have a bash at coding for it.

Not an issue at the moment - I have to focus on Linux

Doug

[Antonio Linares]

Doug,

No, FWPPC is not part of FTDN yet.

The FTDN included products are described here:
http://www.fivetechsoft.com/english/ftdn.html

[xProgrammer]

Hi Antonio

I got Ubuntu 7.04 installed OK

Downloaded installx.exe and xharbour.bin

Followed the instructions and ran fivelinux.exe and installx.exe just fine (although it insisted on installing in root/fivelinux and root/xharbour)

At first buildx.sh wouldn't run but after a bit I tried chmod o=x buildx.sh and then it ran

There seems to be a slight problem with buidx.sh however - it seems to be producing name.c file from name.prg whereas I gather than the rest of the script expects name.prg.c

This is what I got:

xHarbour Compiler build 0.92.0 (Simplex)
Copyright 1999-2004 etc
Compiling 'tutor01.prg'...
Lines 9, Functions/Procedures 1
Generating C source output to 'tutor01.c'...
Done
compiling C module...
gcc: tutor01.prg.c: No such file or directory
gcc: no input files
linking...
gcc: tutor01.prg.o: No such file or directory
rm" cannot remove 'tutor01.prg.c': no such etc

A nicely written script because a novice like me can (I think) tell what's going on.

I gues .sh means its a shell script. I guess if I did some research I could fix it, but I figure there's a simple known solution that Antonio, or someone else, can tell me

Thanks Doug (xProgrammer)

[Antonio Linares]

Doug,

> although it insisted on installing in root/fivelinux and root/xharbour

Are you logged in as root ? Its not a good practice to login as root. You have the risk to break things. Get used to login as a standard user.

> chmod o=x buildx.sh

Yes, another way is:
chmod +x ./buildx.sh

> the rest of the script expects name.prg.c

Don't use the PRG extension when calling buildx.sh:

./buildx.sh tutor01

> A nicely written script because a novice like me can (I think) tell what's going on.

Thanks. We like to make things simple and easy to understand

> I gues .sh means its a shell script

Right. Its the equivalent for a BAT file on Linux