How To Create Slackware Packages Using Build Scripts

hitest · August 18, 2008

Slackware is a very robust version of Linux that allows you to install software using a variety of methods. You can compile software directly from source code and you can install pre-built Slackware packages (packagename.tgz). I'd like to discuss a third way of installing software which is to use Slackware build scripts to create Slackware packages from source code.

An important consideration when using build scripts is to use scripts from a trusted source. I highly recommend the build scripts which are maintained by Robby Workman et al: slackbuilds.org

Creating packages with build scripts is a multi-step process. For this example I will describe how to build a package for Opera 9.51.

1. Navigate to the opera build script link at slackbuilds.org: http://slackbuilds.org/repository/12.1/network/opera/

2. Download the opera build script (opera.tar.gz) to your download directory. Open up a terminal prompt and navigate to your download directory (eg. cd /home/username/downloaddirectory).

3. Extract the build script with the following command: tar -xzvf opera.tar.gz This will create a sub-directory within your download directory called opera.

4. Next you will download the Opera source code: Opera Source Code

5. Now you will need to copy or move the opera source code (in your download directory) to the newly created opera directory. For example: cp opera-9.51.gcc4-shared-qt3.i386.tar.bz2 /home/username/downloaddirectory/opera

6. Now you need to navigate to the opera directory: cd /home/username/downloaddirectory/opera

7. Inside the opera directory you will find an opera build script called opera.SlackBuild. You will now need to be the root user so issue the su command, then enter your root password.

8. You need to make the opera.SlackBuild script executable so issue this command: # chmod +x opera.SlackBuild

9. Run the build script with this command: # ./opera.SlackBuild

10. The build script will create a Slackware package for the Opera brower in the directory: /tmp

11. Navigate to the /tmp directory: cd /tmp

12. Install the Opera package: # installpkg operapackage.tgz

And that is it! You now have installed Opera to your Slackware system. :thumbsup: I hope you found this guide useful. Slackware is my distro of choice. :matrix: