setup blues

By basd on Mar 23, 2011 | In -arghhh!!

How long have we had x64 computers and necessary software still needs to run 32 bit? So, my OpSu 11.4 setup (setting things up is different from "install") is moving forward, but same ole, same ole.

...

At 11.3 I had some issues with Thunderbird, which is my preferred email program (sorry KMail). Fortunately, I documented my solution here -- because as I've mentioned, these notes are mostly for me, visiting from the future. OpSu 11.4 Thunberbird installed and ran ok -- but Enigmail didn't. Also, had problems with Lightning, or Lignthing plus Google Calendar, or whatever -- in any event, my calendar didn't show up. Arrghh time.

I am apparently getting stupider, because I couldn't figure out the answer to my problems. The error messages expressed that Thunderbird had been compiled against x64 gcc+, creating incompatibilities. So, I downloaded T-bird direct from Mozilla and threw it in /opt as I frequently do anyway. But, it wouldn't run.

I tried to run it from a command prompt, so I could see what was happening -- nolibdbus-glib or whatever. I thought, "oh, well that's because my modules are in /usr/lib64, but wherever I would put simlinks -- even into /opt/thunderbird -- still couldn't find it.

Then I had a foggy recollection of blogging about this issue before. Ran a search here at ISBW and discovered that what I needed to do was install glib32.

OK. So, now Thunderbird/enigmail/lightning/google calendar all working. Plus, it's 3.1.19, wehreas OpSu repositories apparently have 3.1.18. Davmail is working just fine, too.

What I like about these various packages is -- absent glib dependency issues or whatever -- you can just grab them, unzip them and get them running. I really don't want to spend so much time reinstalling the SAME software over and over. That's one reason I don't like upgrading to new computers. It's often not the cost of the computer, it's the time cost of reinstalling/setting up. (Which is why I'm considering going to a client/server model and why I like the Jolicloud approach.)

But it occurred to me I could put the packages in my dropbox and link them, which will make the upgrades a lot faster / easier. Take DavMail for exemple. I've been through multiple upgrades just in the few months I've been using it. Pretty easy to do, but x 6 computers, a PITA. So, old method: (1) download; (2) unzip to program location, (3) change launcher to point to new package. Times 6.

New way (hopefully) -- unzip package to dropbox and rename folder to existing "davmail-linux-x64". The simlink to /bin and the davmail.desktop icon will still be "correct" even though they are now pointing at the upgraded package.

But, there is a planning glitch here too, because it is not one-size-fits-all. Really, I need in the dropbox location also "davmail-linux-x86" and "davmail-windows". Also, I don't know whether the linking that works just fine in linux will also function in windows. (I had some difficulty getting windows links to point to mapped local folders on my remote server. Can't drag'n'drop as I do with the linux ones due to the archaic windows naming convention. but doable.)

Next up -- what do I do about Mozex (or something) that will execute a local command from my browser? OpSu 11.4 now features Firefox 4.0 -- which is good for the improvements, but not-so-good when we are losing key functionality for some project or other.

I guess I will have to run Firefox 3.6 from /opt. Which is ok, I guess, as I have been running Firefox 4.0 beta/RC from /opt while still using Firefox 3.6 as my main browser.

BTW, this Dell monitor is really bright. I ahve brightness rolled down all the way to zero and then I've run contrast most of the way to zero also, just so I don't go blind using this thing.

While whining -- it's So Very Clever of OpSu and AMD to drop this AMD logo and "Unsupported Hardware" widget onto the lower right corner of my desktop. Unfortunately, it is obscuring icons I need to click on regularly and I have no idea how to make it go away. It's "transparent" to the icons -- which means I can still click on them -- but it makes it hard to see stuff behind there. Enough with the "clever" think already.