I've just installed LyX 1.1.2 (the most recent stable version) on
a Slackware 7 system (glibc-2.1), after reading README and
INSTALL, with:
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/pkg/lyx-1.1.2
make
make install
as user `bin' (who has permission to write to /usr/local/pkg). All
went well. (I prefer to install developing programs under /usr/
local/pkg instead of /usr/local, as I can then keep an older version
available while a more recent one is being evaluated; the `pkg'
(packages) subdirectory keeps /usr/local from getting cluttered.)
I made symbolic links from /usr/local/pkg/lyx-1.1.2/bin/* to /usr/
local/bin.
Then, as user `john', I moved my existing $HOME/.lyx directory out
of the way and ran this lyx. It asked me if I wanted to create a
personal LyX directory, and I replied `Yes'. I then got the messages:
LyX: Creating directory /usr/john/.lyx and running configure...
sh: configure: command not found
LyX: Done!
LyXTextClassList::Read: unable to find textclass file `~/<unknown_path>'.
Exiting.
The dialogue box:
`LyX wasn't able to find its layout descriptions!'
Check that the file "textclass.lst"
is installed correctly. Sorry, has to exit :-(
also appeared.
To fix all this, I added `/usr/local/pkg/lyx-1.1.2/share/lyx' and
`/usr/share/texmf/bin' (the weird place Slackware 7 puts its TeX
executables - what's wrong with /usr/local/bin?!) to my PATH, in
order to pick up `configure' and tried again. This fixed it.
My question is - what should I have done? A new LyX installer and
user could be very confused by what happens. I've seen no mention
of the above in the README or INSTALL files.
I'm not a subscriber to the LyX developer's list, so I'd be pleased
if you would send me any reply directly.
John A. Murdie
Experimental Officer (Software)
Department of Computer Science
University of York
England
