-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Copyright (c) 1998-2017,2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc. --
+-- Copyright 2018-2019,2020 Thomas E. Dickey --
+-- Copyright 1998-2017,2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc. --
-- --
-- Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a --
-- copy of this software and associated documentation files (the --
-- sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written --
-- authorization. --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- $Id: INSTALL,v 1.201 2018/01/01 15:07:35 tom Exp $
+-- $Id: INSTALL,v 1.222 2020/04/05 00:05:52 tom Exp $
---------------------------------------------------------------------
How to install Ncurses/Terminfo on your system
---------------------------------------------------------------------
and termcap data from disk. You can configure ncurses to have a
built-in database, aka "fallback" entries. Embedded applications may
have no need for an external database. Some, but not all of the
- programs are useful in this configuration, e.g., reset and tput versus
+ programs are useful in this configuration, e.g., tset and tput versus
infocmp and tic.
--disable-db-install
Do not install the terminal database. This is used to omit features
for packages, as done with --without-progs.
+ --disable-echo
+ Use the option --disable-echo to make the build-log less verbose by
+ suppressing the display of the compile and link commands. This makes
+ it easier to see the compiler warnings. (You can always use "make -n"
+ to see the options that are used).
+
--disable-ext-funcs
Disable function-extensions. Configure ncurses without the functions
that are not specified by XSI. See ncurses/modules for the exact
list of library modules that would be suppressed.
+ --disable-gnat-projects
+ Disable GNAT projects even if usable, for testing old makefile rules.
+
--disable-hashmap
Compile without hashmap scrolling-optimization code. This algorithm is
the default.
--disable-largefile
Disable compiler flags needed to use large-file interfaces.
- --disable-lib-suffixes
- Suppress the "w", "t" or "tw" suffixes which normally would be added
- to the library names for the --enable-widec and --with-pthread options.
-
- --disable-libtool-version
- when using --with-libtool, control how the major/minor version numbers
- are used for constructing the library name.
-
- The default uses the -version-number feature of libtool, which makes
- the library names compatible (though not identical) with the standard
- build using --with-shared.
-
- Use --disable-libtool-version to use the libtool -version-info feature.
- This corresponds to the setting used before patch 20100515.
-
- Starting with patch 20141115, using this option causes the configure
- script to apply the top-level VERSION file to the ABI version used
- for libtool.
-
--disable-leaks
For testing, compile-in code that frees memory that normally would not
be freed, to simplify analysis of memory-leaks.
library resume and reallocate memory, then that would not use a "_nc_"
prefix.
+ --disable-lib-suffixes
+ Suppress the "w", "t" or "tw" suffixes which normally would be added
+ to the library names for the --enable-widec and --with-pthread options.
+
+ --disable-libtool-version
+ when using --with-libtool, control how the major/minor version numbers
+ are used for constructing the library name.
+
+ The default uses the -version-number feature of libtool, which makes
+ the library names compatible (though not identical) with the standard
+ build using --with-shared.
+
+ Use --disable-libtool-version to use the libtool -version-info feature.
+ This corresponds to the setting used before patch 20100515.
+
+ Starting with patch 20141115, using this option causes the configure
+ script to apply the top-level VERSION file to the ABI version used
+ for libtool.
+
--disable-lp64
The header files will ignore use of the _LP64 symbol to make chtype
and mmask_t types 32 bits (they may be long on 64-bit hosts, for
Without some special effort, it will either fail to compile at all,
or the compiler may find a different unctrl.h file.
+ In addition to the curses library, a system may provide its own
+ versions of the add-on libraries (form, menu, panel), which would
+ not be compatible with ncurses. These options allow you to rename
+ ncurses' add-on libraries to avoid conflicts when linking:
+
+ --with-form-libname=XXX
+ --with-menu-libname=XXX
+ --with-panel-libname=XXX
+
+ Rather than renaming them abitrarily, a prefix or suffix is
+ recommended. An "n" prefix provides consistency with ncurses versus
+ curses, i.e.,
+
+ --with-form-libname=nform
+ --with-menu-libname=nmenu
+ --with-panel-libname=npanel
+
--disable-relink
If --enable-rpath is given, the generated makefiles normally will
- rebuild the libraries during install. Use this option to simply
- copy whatever the linked produced.
+ rebuild shared libraries during install. Use this option to simply
+ copy whatever the linker produced.
- This option is ignored if --enable-rpath is not given.
+ Static libraries cannot simply be copied because tools use timestamps
+ to determine if the library's symbol table is up to date. If your
+ install program supports the "-p" (preserve timestamp) option, that
+ is used when --disable-relink is given, to avoid rebuilding the symbol
+ table.
+
+ Finally, some tools ignore the subsecond timestamps supported by some
+ filesystems. This option adds a 1-second sleep to help those tools
+ avoid unnecessary relinking during the install process.
--disable-root-environ
Compile with environment restriction, so certain environment variables
Compile without scroll-hints code. This option is ignored when
hashmap scrolling is configured, which is the default.
+ --disable-stripping
+ Do not strip installed executables.
+
--disable-tic-depends
When building shared libraries, normally the tic library is linked to
depend upon the ncurses library (or equivalently, on the tinfo-library
--disable-wattr-macros
The 6.0 ABI adds support for extended colors and for extended mouse.
- The former is a noticeable problem when developers inadvertantly
+ The former is a noticeable problem when developers inadvertently
compile using the ncurses6 header files and link with an ncurses5
library, because the wattr* macros use a new field in the WINDOW
structure. These macros are used in several applications.
issues arise when porting to SVr4 curses, which uses const in even
fewer places.
- --enable-echo
- Use the option --disable-echo to make the build-log less verbose by
- suppressing the display of the compile and link commands. This makes
- it easier to see the compiler warnings. (You can always use "make -n"
- to see the options that are used).
-
--enable-expanded
For testing, generate functions for certain macros to make them visible
as such to the debugger. See also the --disable-macros option.
ncurses. This does not change the ABI (the binary interface seen by
calling applications).
+ --enable-fvisibility
+ Use the gcc "-fvisibility=hidden" option to make symbols which are not
+ explicitly exported, "hidden". Doing this may reduce the number of
+ symbols exported in the C++ binding; it should have less effect on the
+ C libraries when symbol-versioning is used.
+
--enable-getcap
Use the 4.4BSD getcap code if available, or a bundled version of it to
fetch termcap entries. Entries read in this way cannot use (make
--enable-safe-sprintf
Compile with experimental safe-sprintf code. You may consider using
this if you are building ncurses for a system that has neither
- vsnprintf() or vsprintf(). It is slow, however.
-
- --enable-sigwinch
- Compile support for ncurses' SIGWINCH handler. If your application has
- its own SIGWINCH handler, ncurses will not use its own. The ncurses
- handler causes wgetch() to return KEY_RESIZE when the screen-size
- changes. This option is the default, unless you have disabled the
- extended functions.
+ vsnprintf() or vsprintf(). It is slow, however, and is used only on
+ very old systems which lack vsnprintf().
--enable-signed-char
The term.h header declares a Booleans[] array typed "char". But it
is not strictly compatible. This option allows one to implement this
alteration without patching the source code.
+ --enable-sigwinch
+ Compile support for ncurses' SIGWINCH handler. If your application has
+ its own SIGWINCH handler, ncurses will not use its own. The ncurses
+ handler causes wgetch() to return KEY_RESIZE when the screen-size
+ changes. This option is the default, unless you have disabled the
+ extended functions.
+
--enable-sp-funcs
Compile-in support for extended functions which accept a SCREEN pointer,
reducing the need for juggling the global SP value with set_term() and
Tell where to install the Ada includes (default:
PREFIX/lib/ada/adainclude)
+ --with-ada-libname=NAME
+ Override the name of the Ada binding (default: "AdaCurses")
+
--with-ada-objects=DIR
Tell where to install the Ada objects (default: PREFIX/lib/ada/adalib)
correspond with that in <stdbool.h>, or defaults to platform-specific
sizes).
- --with-build-cpp=XXX
- This option is provided by the same macro used for $BUILD_CC, etc.,
- but is not directly used by ncurses.
-
--with-build-cc=XXX
If cross-compiling, specify a host C compiler, which is needed to
compile a few utilities which generate source modules for ncurses.
You can also set the environment variable $BUILD_CFLAGS rather than
use this option.
+ --with-build-cpp=XXX
+ This option is provided by the same macro used for $BUILD_CC, etc.,
+ but is not directly used by ncurses.
+
--with-build-cppflags=XXX
If cross-compiling, specify the host C preprocessor-flags. You might
need to do this if the target compiler has unusual flags which confuse
executables, e.g., by setting "--with-chtype=long" (the configure
script supplies "unsigned").
+ --with-config-suffix=XXX
+ Specify a suffix for the ncursesw6-config file, etc., used to work
+ around conflicts with packages.
+
+ --with-cxx-libname=NAME
+ Override the basename of the ncurses++ library (default: "ncurses++")
+
--with-cxx-shared
When --with-shared is set, build libncurses++ as a shared library.
This implicitly relies upon building with gcc/g++, since other
Specify a list of fallback terminal descriptions which will be
compiled into the ncurses library. See CONFIGURING FALLBACK ENTRIES.
+ See also "--with-tic-path" and "--with-infocmp-path".
+
+ --with-form-libname=NAME
+ Override the basename of the form library (default: "form")
+
--with-gpm
use Alessandro Rubini's GPM library to provide mouse support on the
Linux console. Prior to ncurses 5.5, this introduced a dependency on
See also the --enable-getcap option.
+ --with-infocmp-path[=XXX]
+ Use this option to override the automatic detection of tic in your
+ $PATH when building fallbacks (see "--with-fallbacks").
+
--with-install-prefix=XXX
Allows you to specify an alternate location for installing ncurses
after building it. The value you specify is prepended to the "real"
https://invisible-island.net/autoconf/
--with-libtool-opts=XXX
- Specify additional libtool options.
+ Allow user to pass additional libtool options into the library creation
+ and link steps. The main use for this is to do something like
+ ./configure --with-libtool-opts=-static
+ to get the same behavior as automake-flavored
+ ./configure --enable-static
--with-manpage-aliases
Tell the configure script you wish to create entries in the
by running them through tbl to generate tables understandable by
nroff.
+ --with-menu-libname=NAME
+ Override the basename of the menu library (default: "menu")
+
--with-mmask-t=TYPE
Override type of mmask_t, which stores the mouse mask. Prior to
ncurses 5.5, this was always unsigned long, but with ncurses 5.5, it
those using termcap, do not use the higher speeds. Your application
(or system, in general) may or may not.
+ --with-panel-libname=NAME
+ Override the basename of the panel library (default: "panel")
+
--with-pc-suffix=SUFFIX
If ".pc" files are installed, optionally add a suffix to the files
and corresponding package names to separate unusual configurations.
If no option value is given (or if it is "none"), no suffix is added.
+ --with-pcre2
+ Add PCRE2 (Perl-compatible regular expressions v2) to the build if it
+ is available and the user requests it. Assume the application will
+ otherwise use the POSIX interface.
+
+ This is useful for MinGW builds because the usual POSIX interface is
+ not supplied by the development environment, while ncurses' form
+ library uses a regular expression feature for one of the field types.
+
--with-pkg-config=[DIR]
Check for pkg-config, optionally specifying its path.
Specify a search-list of termcap files which will be compiled into the
ncurses library (default: /etc/termcap:/usr/share/misc/termcap)
+ --with-tic-path[=XXX]
+ Use this option to override the automatic detection of tic in your
+ $PATH when building fallbacks (see "--with-fallbacks").
+
--with-ticlib[=XXX]
When building the ncurses library, build a separate library for
the modules that are used only by the utility programs. Normally
Configure the trace() function as part of the all models of the ncurses
library. Normally it is part of the debug (libncurses_g) library only.
+ --with-valgrind
+ For testing, compile with debug option.
+ This also sets the --disable-leaks option.
+
--with-versioned-syms[=XXX]
The Solaris, GNU and reportedly some other linkers (ld) accept a
"--version-script" option which tells the linker to annotate the
may prefer to use a different ".map" file by setting this option's
value.
- --with-xterm-kbs=XXX
- Configure xterm's terminfo entries to use either BS (^H, i.e., ASCII
- backspace) or DEL (^?, or 127). XXX can be BS (or bs, 8) or DEL
- (or del, 127).
-
- During installation, the makefile and scripts modifies the "xterm+kbs"
- terminfo entry to use this setting.
-
- --with-valgrind
- For testing, compile with debug option.
- This also sets the --disable-leaks option.
-
--with-wrap-prefix=XXX
When using the --enable-reentrant option, ncurses redefines variables
that would be global in curses, e.g., LINES, as a macro that calls a
which applications should not call even via a macro. This configure
option lets you choose the prefix for these wrapped variables.
+ --with-x11-rgb=FILE
+ Provide a pathname for the X11 rgb file, used by the picsmap program.
+ This overrides a configure check which usually works, but is needed
+ due to the lack of standardization for X11's files.
+
+ --with-xterm-kbs=XXX
+ Configure xterm's terminfo entries to use either BS (^H, i.e., ASCII
+ backspace) or DEL (^?, or 127). XXX can be BS (or bs, 8) or DEL
+ (or del, 127).
+
+ During installation, the makefile and scripts modifies the "xterm+kbs"
+ terminfo entry to use this setting.
+
--without-ada
Suppress the configure script's check for Ada95, do not build the
Ada95 binding and related demo.
programs (e.g., tic). The test applications will still be built if you
type "make", though not if you simply do "make install".
+ --without-tack
+ Suppress build/install with tack program, if it happens to be
+ in the same build-tree (tack was moved out of the ncurses source-tree
+ in 20070203).
+
--without-tests
Tell the configure script to suppress the build of ncurses' test
programs.
COMPATIBILITY WITH OLDER VERSIONS OF NCURSES:
--------------------------------------------
- Because ncurses implements X/Open Curses, its interface is fairly stable.
+ Because ncurses implements X/Open Curses, its interface is fairly stable.
That does not mean the interface does not change. Changes are made to the
documented interfaces when we find differences between ncurses and X/Open
- or implementations which largely correspond to X/Open (such as Solaris).
+ or implementations which largely correspond to X/Open (such as Solaris).
We add extensions to those interfaces to solve problems not addressed by
the original curses design, but those must not conflict with the X/Open
documentation.
you may encounter when building a system with different versions of
ncurses:
+ 6.2 (Feb 12, 2020)
+ Interface changes:
+
+ + the terminal database must be compiled with ncurses 6.2 tic;
+ older versions of tic/infocmp will not work. Aside from that,
+ the compiled database will work with older applications.
+
+ + "*.pc" and "ncurses*-config" files give the same information.
+
+ + vwprintw and vwscanw are deprecated.
+
+ Added extensions:
+
+ + These make it simpler to substitute a debug-configuration of the
+ library for non-debug:
+ curses_trace
+ exit_curses
+ exit_terminfo
+
+ Added internal functions (other than "_sp" variants):
+
+ + These provide fast-lookup of common user-defined capabilities:
+ _nc_find_user_entry
+ _nc_get_userdefs_table
+ _nc_get_hash_user
+
+ + This is added to work around compiler-warnings:
+ _nc_fmt_funcptr
+
+ Removed internal functions:
+
+ + _nc_import_termtype
+
+ Modified internal functions:
+
+ + _nc_reserve_pairs no longer returns a value
+
+ 6.1 (Jan 27, 2018)
+ Interface changes:
+
+ + X/Open Curses specifies a "reserved" void* parameter in several
+ functions, saying that it must be NULL. In this release, if the
+ parameter is non-NULL, it is interpreted as a point to an integer
+ containing a color pair. In previous releases, a non-NULL parameter
+ caused an error return. Portable applications are unaffected. Here
+ are the functions which have been extended:
+ attr_get
+ attr_off
+ attr_on
+ attr_set
+ chgat
+ color_set
+ mvchgat
+ mvwchgat
+ slk_attr_off
+ slk_attr_on
+ slk_attr_set
+ wattr_get
+ wattr_on
+ wattr_off
+ wattr_set
+ wchgat
+ wcolor_set
+
+ + the TERMINAL structure declared in <term.h> has been made opaque,
+ and its size increased to handle the increased size of color pair
+ and color value, as well as other numeric capabilities.
+
+ A few applications required change, e.g., to use def_prog_mode;
+ only one application (tack) is known to have a valid reason for
+ accessing these internal details, and that was addressed by the
+ release of tack 1.08 in 2017. Internal functions marked as used
+ by tack will be deprecated in future releases.
+
+ Added extensions:
+
+ + Several new functions were added to manipulate extended color pairs
+ and color values. These include:
+ alloc_pair
+ extended_color_content
+ extended_pair_content
+ extended_slk_color
+ find_pair
+ free_pair
+ init_extended_color
+ init_extended_pair
+ reset_color_pairs
+
+ as well as corresponding sp-functions.
+
+ + A new terminfo capability "RGB" tells the ncurses library that the
+ color values are red/green/blue, to eliminate the need for palettes
+ in that special case for the color_content function.
+
+ Added internal functions (other than "_sp" variants):
+ _nc_copy_termtype2
+ _nc_export_termtype2
+ _nc_fallback2
+ _nc_find_prescr
+ _nc_forget_prescr
+ _nc_free_termtype2
+ _nc_read_entry2
+ _nc_write_object
+
+ Removed internal functions:
+ _nc_check_termtype
+ _nc_resolve_uses
+
+ Modified internal functions:
+
+ + symbols are used by tic/infocmp/toe:
+ _nc_align_termtype - change parameters to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_check_termtype2 - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_read_file_entry - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_read_termtype - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_trim_sgr0 - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_write_entry - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+
+ + symbols used only within the library:
+ _nc_fallback - change return type to TERMTYPE2*
+ _nc_init_termtype - change parameter to TERMTYPE2*
+
6.0 (Aug 08, 2015)
Interface changes:
$TERMINFO \
../misc/terminfo.src \
`which tic` \
+ `which infocmp` \
linux vt100 xterm >fallback.c
- The first three parameters of the script are normally supplied by
+ The first four parameters of the script are normally supplied by
the configured makefiles via the "--with-fallbacks" option. They
are
2) the source for the terminfo entries
3) the location of the tic program, used to create a terminfo
database.
+ 4) the location of the infocmp program, used to print a terminfo
+ description.
Then just rebuild and reinstall the library as you would normally.
You can restore the default empty fallback list with
$TERMINFO \
../misc/terminfo.src \
`which tic` \
+ `which infocmp` \
>fallback.c
The overhead for an empty fallback list is one trivial stub function.
- Any non-empty fallback list is const-ed and therefore lives in sharable
+ Any non-empty fallback list is const'd and therefore lives in shareable
text space. You can look at the comment trailing each initializer in
the generated ncurses/fallback.c file to see the core cost of the
fallbacks. A good rule of thumb for modern vt100-like entries is that
projects / ncurses.git / blobdiff