Problems getting into programming

[Marc Heyvaert]

Hello,

--- Thomas McGuire <thomasmg at web.de> wrote:
> Thanks Christian and Jeroen for your helpful
> answers.

I read the previous mails in this thread but I didn't
have the time to answer up till now.

Just my 0.02 cent...

Downloading form a cvs (mirror)server is really easy,
and is sufficiently explained in the docs on the wiki.

The next step is trying to compile the program you
want to work on. The module on itself will probably
not work with the 'older' version of KDE and Qt that
are part of your 'normal' distribution. So you may
have to install arts, kdelibs and kdebase from HEAD
before you proceed with the module that you are
intrested in. This is also covered in docs on the
wiki.

When you have downloaded all these modules using cvs,
the basic procedure is to switch to the top directory
of the module and do the cycle

make -f Makefile.cvs
./configure
make
make install

However, I wouldn't do it this way for two reasons :

1. It will generate a ton of new files in your cvs
dirs and it is better to keep these clean.

2. You want to set the --prefix to another dir to
avoid an install in your current KDE dir or in another
dir for which paths are not set.

So I have a /home/whateveruser/build dir on my system,
and under that dir I have /arts, /kdelibs, etc dirs.
All the building is done in those directories.

The cycle then becomes 

1. In the normal CVS module dir : 'make -f
Makefile.cvs'

2. In the correct build dir, say for arts :
'/home/whateveruser/cvsdir/arts/configure
--prefix=/home/whateveruser/usr'

3. In the build directory : 'make'

4. In the build directory : 'make install'

Do this for the other packages and for the package you
want to work on. You will then be able to run the
program that you like. But beware of path and similar
problems. Have a look at 

http://wiki.kde.org/tiki-index.php?page=Compiling+KOffice+Step+by+Step

to get some feeling about this.


Once you get the program to run you can work on the
sourcefiles. Make a backup of the original file! After
tinkering at the code you may want to make/make
install the module again. This will take very little
time now, because make will only recompile the file
you changed and its dependencies..

When you are satisfied with your changes you have to
make a patch by running your version and the original
version through the diff program.

Have a look here to learn how.

http://www.koffice.org/developer/generalinfo/sendingpatches.php


As for using Kdevelop, there is a page on the wiki :

http://kde.ground.cz/tiki-index.php?page=How+To+Use+KDevelop+with+KDE+CVS

But you knew that already I think. I have no
experience using Kdevelop. But if you get it to run
with the choosen program, basically you still have to
make a patch of the relevant .src file.


I hope your patches get accepted :) and if your still
looking for a project, don't forget KOffice....


Marc


	
		
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