[PyKDE] PyQt Installation Problems

[Jim Bublitz]

Just some tips based on experience gained from yesterday's install
nightmare (all my fault, too):

I set up a machine to test PyKDE2 against Qt2.3.1/KDE2.1.2. First
off, the HD was toast, so I replaced that. Then I installed SuSE7.2
(since I wanted KDE2.1.2, not KDE2.2.0). Then, since SuSE7.2 was
still Qt2.3.0, I installed the qt-2.3.1 and qt-extension rpms.

1. Installing qt does not install the Qt moc compiler - you have to
install the qt-devel package to get that. However, PyQt seemed to
find the old 2.3.0 moc, but wouldn't compile the output it
generated (failed compiling qtcmodule.cpp - about 1-2 minutes into
the compile). So, tip: install the qt-devel rpm along with a new qt
install and if possible uninstall the old qt version. If you
compile from source, moc should be built automatically. PyQt will
build from Qt2.3.0 if you download the CVS version, but not from the
tarballs.

2. PyQt likes recent versions of  automake, autoconf and libtool. I
upgraded the machine to autoconf2.13, automake2.52 and
libtool1.4.2. Don't know if that made any difference, but those
work. Those may not be the latest versions - I don't have the URLs
for them handy, but I believe they're on the GNU site, or search
on Google.

3. If you fail on an install attempt, be sure to do a 'make clean',
or better still, delete the PyQt files altogether and reinstall
from the .tar.gz file after fixing qt, tools, or whatever. In my
case, for example, without 'make clean' the old incorrect moc stuff
was still around, and up-to-date enough that make assumed it didn't
need to rebuild that stuff.

4. If you install a new ATA/IDE drive or distribution, be sure to
run hdparm and to check/set 32 bit I/O and DMA options (eg 'hdparm
/dev/hda' will display the current settings for hda - read the man
page or the Ultra-DMA Mini HowTo and be careful though). PyQt and
PyKDE2 are long compiles with a lot of HD activity so you want all
the speed you can get. Lots of memory helps too - 256MB PC133 DIMMs
are under $30 now.

Jim