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Ruby 1.8.4 and tcltk under Linux

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Mark Volkmann

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Dec 31, 2005, 9:23:22 PM12/31/05
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I have some Ruby code that uses Tk that works fine under Windows.
However, when I try to run it under Linux with Ruby 1.8.4 installed I
get "no such file to load -- tcltklib".

Do I have to take steps to install tcltk? I don't recall having to do
that under Windows, but perhaps the one-click installer did that for
me. If I need to do this, a pointer to a web page that explains how
would be much appreciated.

--
R. Mark Volkmann
Partner, Object Computing, Inc.


gmu...@cloudnet.com

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Dec 31, 2005, 10:18:45 PM12/31/05
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Mark Volkmann wrote:
> I have some Ruby code that uses Tk that works fine under Windows.
> However, when I try to run it under Linux with Ruby 1.8.4 installed I
> get "no such file to load -- tcltklib".

ruby does not replace tcl or tk. It requires the underlying libraries
provided
by those packages.

> Do I have to take steps to install tcltk?

Yes. see ruby-1.8.4/ext/tk/README.tcltklib

I don't recall having to do
> that under Windows

perhaps has a library/dll

best regards,
Gerald

Gerardo Santana Gómez Garrido

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Jan 1, 2006, 10:09:55 PM1/1/06
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2005/12/31, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com>:

> I have some Ruby code that uses Tk that works fine under Windows.
> However, when I try to run it under Linux with Ruby 1.8.4 installed I
> get "no such file to load -- tcltklib".
>
> Do I have to take steps to install tcltk? I don't recall having to do
> that under Windows, but perhaps the one-click installer did that for
> me. If I need to do this, a pointer to a web page that explains how
> would be much appreciated.

I had the same problem. Hard to find a solution on the web, until I
look into my own ruby source tree:

http://santanatechnotes.blogspot.com/2005/12/ruby-and-tk-on-solaris.html

Basically:

# cd ext/tcltklib
# ruby extconf.rb --with-tcl-include=/usr/sfw/include
# make && make install

That was for Solaris, but will work on Linux (just change the path to
your Tcl/Tk headers and libraries). Don't forget to read the README
file.


>
> --
> R. Mark Volkmann
> Partner, Object Computing, Inc.
>
>


--
Gerardo Santana
"Between individuals, as between nations, respect for the rights of
others is peace" - Don Benito Juárez
http://santanatechnotes.blogspot.com/


Jonathan Simms

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Jan 2, 2006, 11:26:43 AM1/2/06
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On 1/2/06, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 1/1/06, Gerardo Santana Gómez Garrido <gerardo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > 2005/12/31, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com>:
> > > I have some Ruby code that uses Tk that works fine under Windows.
> > > However, when I try to run it under Linux with Ruby 1.8.4 installed I
> > > get "no such file to load -- tcltklib".
> > >
> > > Do I have to take steps to install tcltk? I don't recall having to do
> > > that under Windows, but perhaps the one-click installer did that for
> > > me. If I need to do this, a pointer to a web page that explains how
> > > would be much appreciated.
> >
> > I had the same problem. Hard to find a solution on the web, until I
> > look into my own ruby source tree:
> >
> > http://santanatechnotes.blogspot.com/2005/12/ruby-and-tk-on-solaris.html
> >
> > Basically:
> >
> > # cd ext/tcltklib
> > # ruby extconf.rb --with-tcl-include=/usr/sfw/include
>
> This command runs without error, but I don't have a /usr/sfw directory.

>
> > # make && make install
>
> This command says "Nothing to be done for 'all'".

>
> > That was for Solaris, but will work on Linux (just change the path to
> > your Tcl/Tk headers and libraries). Don't forget to read the README
> > file.
>
> This seems to be the root of my problem. I don't know where the Tcl/Tk
> headers and libraries are located on my machine. Can you tell me the
> name of one of the files so I can search for it? I tried running "find
> . -name '*tcltk*' -print" from / and didn't find any libraries.
>

On my system, ubuntu, the shared library is /usr/lib/libtcl8.4.a, and
the headers are in /usr/include/tcl8.4


Gerardo Santana Gómez Garrido

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Jan 2, 2006, 11:32:30 AM1/2/06
to
2006/1/2, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com>:

> On 1/1/06, Gerardo Santana Gómez Garrido <gerardo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > 2005/12/31, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com>:
> > > I have some Ruby code that uses Tk that works fine under Windows.
> > > However, when I try to run it under Linux with Ruby 1.8.4 installed I
> > > get "no such file to load -- tcltklib".
> > >
> > > Do I have to take steps to install tcltk? I don't recall having to do
> > > that under Windows, but perhaps the one-click installer did that for
> > > me. If I need to do this, a pointer to a web page that explains how
> > > would be much appreciated.
> >
> > I had the same problem. Hard to find a solution on the web, until I
> > look into my own ruby source tree:
> >
> > http://santanatechnotes.blogspot.com/2005/12/ruby-and-tk-on-solaris.html
> >
> > Basically:
> >
> > # cd ext/tcltklib
> > # ruby extconf.rb --with-tcl-include=/usr/sfw/include
>
> This command runs without error, but I don't have a /usr/sfw directory.
>
> > # make && make install
>
> This command says "Nothing to be done for 'all'".
>
> > That was for Solaris, but will work on Linux (just change the path to
> > your Tcl/Tk headers and libraries). Don't forget to read the README
> > file.
>
> This seems to be the root of my problem. I don't know where the Tcl/Tk
> headers and libraries are located on my machine. Can you tell me the
> name of one of the files so I can search for it? I tried running "find
> . -name '*tcltk*' -print" from / and didn't find any libraries.


At then end of the output of extconf.rb says it couldn't find some
files. One of them in tcl.h, look for it.

Mark Volkmann

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Jan 2, 2006, 8:57:51 PM1/2/06
to
Got it! Here's what I had to do.

1) Download tcl8.4.12-src.tar.gz and tk8.4.12-src.tar.gz
http://www.tcl.tk/software/tcltk/downloadnow84.html
2) Unzip and untar them into /opt/TclTk.
3) ruby extconf.rb \
--with-tcl-include=/opt/TclTk/tcl8.4.12/generic \
--with-tk-include=/opt/TclTk/tk8.4.12/generic
4) make
5) make install


Gerardo Santana Gómez Garrido

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Jan 2, 2006, 9:21:36 PM1/2/06
to
2006/1/2, Mark Volkmann <r.mark....@gmail.com>:

Extracting the sources you get the header files, yes, but not the
libraries. But still your post implies that somehow extconf.rb found
the libraries, otherwise you wouldn't be able to build the tcltklib
extension.

I suppose your Linux distribution has the Tcl/Tk libraries already
installed but not the header files. These header files are located in
a so called development package or -devel I think.

Mark Volkmann

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Jan 2, 2006, 8:43:10 PM1/2/06
to

My Fedora Core 4 system doesn't have tcl.h anywhere, but I do have
libtcl8.4.so in /usr/lib.

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