-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Copyright (c) 1998-2005,2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc. --
+-- Copyright (c) 1998-2008,2009 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 1.115 2007/01/13 17:16:34 tom Exp $
+-- $Id: INSTALL,v 1.140 2009/08/01 19:32:04 tom Exp $
---------------------------------------------------------------------
How to install Ncurses/Terminfo on your system
---------------------------------------------------------------------
recent implementation of libiconv. We have built this configuration on
Linux using libiconv, sometimes requiring libutf8.
+ If you configure using the --with-pthread option, a "t" is appended to
+ the library names (e.g., libncursest.a, libncursestw.a).
+
If you do not specify any models, the normal and debug libraries will be
configured. Typing `configure' with no arguments is equivalent to:
return deceptive results, so you may have to override the configure
script. Or you may be building tic for a smaller machine.
+ --disable-big-strings
+ Disable compile-time optimization of predefined tables which puts
+ all of their strings into a very long string, to reduce relocation
+ overhead.
+
--disable-database
Use only built-in data. The ncurses libraries normally read terminfo
and termcap data from disk. You can configure ncurses to have a
For testing, compile-in code that frees memory that normally would not
be freed, to simplify analysis of memory-leaks.
+ Any implementation of curses must not free the memory associated with
+ a screen, since (even after calling endwin()), it must be available
+ for use in the next call to refresh(). There are also chunks of
+ memory held for performance reasons. That makes it hard to analyze
+ curses applications for memory leaks. To work around this, build
+ a debugging version of the ncurses library which frees those chunks
+ which it can, and provides the _nc_free_and_exit() function to free
+ the remainder on exit. The ncurses utility and test programs use this
+ feature, e.g., via the ExitProgram() macro.
+
--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
rather than the include directory. This makes it simpler to avoid
compile-time conflicts with other versions of curses.h
+ --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.
+
+ This option is ignored if --enable-rpath is not given.
+
--disable-root-environ
Compile with environment restriction, so certain environment variables
are not available when running as root, or via a setuid/setgid
Compile without scroll-hints code. This option is ignored when
hashmap scrolling is configured, which is the default.
+ --disable-tic-depends
+ When building shared libraries, normally the tic library is linked to
+ depend upon the ncurses library (and in turn, on the term-library if
+ the --with-termlib option was given). The tic- and term-libraries
+ ABI does not depend on the --enable-widec option. Some packagers have
+ used this to reduce the number of library files which are packaged
+ by using only one copy of those libraries. To make this work properly,
+ the tic library must be built without an explicit dependency on the
+ ncurses (or ncursesw) library. Use this configure option to do that.
+ For example
+ configure --with-ticlib --with-shared --disable-tic-depends
+
--disable-tparm-varargs
Portable programs should call tparm() using the fixed-length parameter
list documented in X/Open. ncurses provides varargs support for this
may not be accurate, or that your stty settings have disabled the use
of tabs.
+ --enable-mixed-case
+ Controls whether the filesystem on which the terminfo database resides
+ supports mixed-case filenames (normal for UNIX, but not on other
+ systems). If you do not specify this option, the configure script
+ checks the current filesystem.
+
--enable-no-padding
Compile-in support for the $NCURSES_NO_PADDING environment variable,
which allows you to suppress the effect of non-mandatory padding in
terminfo entries. This is the default, unless you have disabled the
extended functions.
+ --enable-pc-files
+ If pkg-config is found (see --with-pkg-config), generate ".pc" files
+ for each of the libraries, and install them in pkg-config's library
+ directory.
+
+ --enable-reentrant
+ Compile experimental configuration which improves reentrant use of the
+ library by reducing global and static variables. This option is also
+ set if --with-pthread is used.
+
--enable-rpath
Use rpath option when generating shared libraries, and (with some
restrictions) when linking the corresponding programs. This originally
environment variable, they do not work with setuid applications since
the LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable would be unset in that situation.
+ This option does not apply to --with-libtool, since libtool makes
+ extra assumptions about rpath.
+
--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
--enable-warnings
Turn on GCC compiler warnings. There should be only a few.
+ --enable-weak-symbols
+ If the --with-pthread option is set, check if the compiler supports
+ weak-symbols. If it does, then name the thread-capable library without
+ the "t" (libncurses rather than libncursest), and provide for
+ dynamically loading the pthreads entrypoints at runtime. This allows
+ one to reduce the number of library files for ncurses.
+
--enable-wgetch-events
Compile with experimental wgetch-events code. See ncurses/README.IZ
Normally this is the same as the release version; some ports have
special requirements for compatibility.
+ This option does not affect linking with libtool, which uses the
+ release major/minor numbers.
+
--with-ada-compiler=CMD
Specify the Ada95 compiler command (default "gnatmake")
to do this if the target compiler has unusual flags which confuse the
host compiler.
+ You can also set the environment variable $BUILD_CFLAGS rather than
+ use this option.
+
--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
the host compiler.
+ You can also set the environment variable $BUILD_CPPFLAGS rather than
+ use this option.
+
--with-build-ldflags=XXX
If cross-compiling, specify the host linker-flags. You might need to
do this if the target linker has unusual flags which confuse the host
compiler.
+ You can also set the environment variable $BUILD_LDFLAGS rather than
+ use this option.
+
--with-build-libs=XXX
If cross-compiling, the host libraries. You might need to do this if
the target environment requires unusual libraries.
+ You can also set the environment variable $BUILD_LIBS rather than
+ use this option.
+
--with-caps=XXX
Specify an alternate terminfo capabilities file, which makes the
configure script look for "include/Caps.XXX". A few systems, e.g.,
to use a terminfo database which is compatible with the native
applications.
+ --with-ccharw-max=XXX
+ Override the size of the wide-character array in cchar_t structures.
+ Changing this will alter the binary interface. This defaults to 5.
+
--with-chtype=TYPE
Override type of chtype, which stores the video attributes and (if
--enable-widec is not given) a character. Prior to ncurses 5.5, this
See also --without-dlsym
- --with-hashed-db
+ --with-hashed-db[=XXX]
Use a hashed database for storing terminfo data rather than storing
each compiled entry in a separate binary file within a directory
tree.
+
+ In particular, this uses the Berkeley database 1.8.5 interface, as
+ provided by that and its successors db 2, 3, and 4. The actual
+ interface is slightly different in the successor versions of the
+ Berkeley database. The database should have been configured using
+ "--enable-compat185".
If you use this option for configuring ncurses, tic will only be able
to write entries in the hashed database. infocmp can still read
You cannot have a directory containing both hashed-database and
filesystem-based terminfo entries.
+ Use the parameter value to give the install-prefix used for the
+ datbase, e.g.,
+ --with-hashed-db=/usr/local/BigBase
+ to find the corresponding include- and lib-directories under the
+ given directory.
+
See also the --enable-getcap option.
--with-install-prefix=XXX
may be unsigned. Use this option if you need to preserve compatibility
with 64-bit executables.
+ --with-normal
+ Generate normal (i.e., static) libraries (default).
+
+ Note: on Linux, the configure script will attempt to use the GPM
+ library via the dlsym() function call. Use --without-dlsym to disable
+ this feature, or --without-gpm, depending on whether you wish to use
+ GPM.
+
--with-ospeed=TYPE
Override type of ospeed variable, which is part of the termcap
compatibility interface. In termcap, this is a 'short', which works
those using termcap, do not use the higher speeds. Your application
(or system, in general) may or may not.
- --with-normal
- Generate normal (i.e., static) libraries (default).
-
- Note: on Linux, the configure script will attempt to use the GPM
- library via the dlsym() function call. Use --without-dlsym to disable
- this feature, or --without-gpm, depending on whether you wish to use
- GPM.
+ --with-pkg-config=[DIR]
+ Check for pkg-config, optionally specifying its path.
--with-profile
Generate profile-libraries These are named by adding "_p" to the root,
e.g., libncurses_p.a
+ --with-pthread
+ Link with POSIX threads, set --enable-reentrant. The use_window() and
+ use_screen() functions will use mutex's, allowing rudimentary support
+ for multithreaded applications.
+
--with-rcs-ids
Compile-in RCS identifiers. Most of the C files have an identifier.
library. As in termlib, there is no ABI difference between the
"wide" libticw.so and libtic.so
+ NOTE: Overriding the name of the tic library may be useful if you are
+ also using the --with-termlib option to rename libtinfo. If you are
+ not doing that, renaming the tic library can result in conflicting
+ library dependencies for tic and other programs built with the tic
+ library.
+
--with-trace
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.
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
+ "wrapping" function which fetches the data from the current SCREEN
+ structure. Normally that function is named by prepending "_nc_" to the
+ variable's name. The function is technically private (since portable
+ applications would not refer directly to it). But according to one
+ line of reasoning, it is not the same type of "private" as functions
+ which applications should not call even via a macro. This configure
+ option lets you choose the prefix for these wrapped variables.
+
--without-ada
Suppress the configure script's check for Ada95, do not build the
Ada95 binding and related demo.
--without-dlsym
Do not use dlsym() to load GPM dynamically.
+ --without-manpages
+ Tell the configure script to suppress the install of ncurses' manpages.
+
--without-progs
Tell the configure script to suppress the build of ncurses' application
programs (e.g., tic). The test applications will still be built if you
you may encounter when building a system with different versions of
ncurses:
+ 5.7 (November 2, 2008)
+ Interface changes:
+
+ + generate linkable stubs for some macros:
+ getattrs
+
+ + Add new library configuration for tic-library (the non-curses portion
+ of the ncurses library used for the tic program as well as some
+ others such as tack. There is no API change, but makefiles would be
+ changed to use the tic-library built separately.
+
+ tack, distributed separately from ncurses, uses some of the internal
+ _nc_XXX functions, which are declared in the tic.h header file.
+
+ The reason for providing this separate library is that none of the
+ functions in it are suitable for threaded applications.
+
+ + Add new library configuration (ncursest, ncurseswt) which provides
+ rudimentary support for POSIX threads. This introduces opaque
+ access functions to the WINDOW structure and adds a parameter to
+ several internal functions.
+
+ + move most internal variables (except tic-library) into data blocks
+ _nc_globals and _nc_prescreen to simplify analysis. Those were
+ globally accessible, but since they were not part of the documented
+ API, there is no ABI change.
+
+ + changed static tables of strings to be indices into long strings, to
+ improve startup performance. This changes parameter lists for some
+ of the internal functions.
+
+ Added extensions:
+
+ + add NCURSES_OPAQUE definition in curses.h to control whether internal
+ details of the WINDOW structure are visible to an application. This
+ is always defined when the threaded library is built, and is optional
+ otherwise. New functions for this: is_cleared, is_idcok, is_idlok,
+ is_immedok, is_keypad, is_leaveok, is_nodelay, is_notimeout,
+ is_scrollok, is_syncok, wgetparent and wgetscrreg.
+
+ + the threaded library (ncursest) also disallows direct updating of
+ global curses-level variables, providing functions (via macros) for
+ obtaining their value. A few of those variables can be modified by
+ the application, using new functions: set_escdelay, set_tabsize
+
+ + added functions use_window() and use_screen() which wrap a mutex
+ (if threading is configured) around a call to a user-supplied
+ function.
+
+ Added internal functions:
+ _nc_get_alias_table
+ _nc_get_screensize
+ _nc_keyname
+ _nc_screen_of
+ _nc_set_no_padding
+ _nc_tracechar
+ _nc_tracemouse
+ _nc_unctrl
+ _nc_ungetch
+
+ These are used for leak-testing, and are stubs for
+ ABI compatibility when ncurses is not configured for that
+ using the --disable-leaks configure script option:
+
+ _nc_free_and_exit
+ _nc_leaks_tinfo
+
+ Removed internal functions:
+ none
+
+ Modified internal functions:
+ _nc_fifo_dump
+ _nc_find_entry
+ _nc_handle_sigwinch
+ _nc_init_keytry
+ _nc_keypad
+ _nc_locale_breaks_acs
+ _nc_timed_wait
+ _nc_update_screensize
+
+ Use new typedef TRIES to replace "struct tries":
+
+ _nc_add_to_try
+ _nc_expand_try
+ _nc_remove_key
+ _nc_remove_string
+ _nc_trace_tries
+
5.6 (December 17, 2006)
Interface changes:
tree is accessible (that is, in single-user mode or at OS installation
time) the ncurses library can be compiled to include an array of
pre-fetched fallback entries. This must be done on a machine which
- has ncurses' infocmp and terminfo database installed.
+ has ncurses' infocmp and terminfo database installed (as well as
+ ncurses' tic and infocmp programs).
These entries are checked by setupterm() only when the conventional
fetches from the terminfo tree and the termcap fallback (if configured)
option), ncurses uses the development platform's tic to do the
"make install.data" portion.
+ The system's tic program is used to install the terminal database,
+ even for cross-compiles. For best results, the tic program should
+ be from the most current version of ncurses.
+
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