Re: newbie questions - getting started with RedHat 4.2

[Jeff Garzik <jgarzik pobox com>]

Dave Reed wrote:
> Please excuse the newbie questions - I've just recently subscribed and
> am interested in getting started with gnome.

Pore over http://www.gnome.org/, the FAQs and docs there.  A lot of the
intro questions are answered there.


> 1. Is the easiest way for me to get started with gnome to just
> download and compile the .tar.gz files from ftp.gnome.org - will they
> compile ok since I don't have glibc?  I know I'll need the more recent
> gtk, glib, etc.

They should.  E-mail a patch to gnome-list if they don't compile and you
figure out what's wrong :)


> 2. I'm still a little confused about the "window manager" issues.  I'm
> happily running fvwm with multiple/virtual "desktops" for each of the
> different programs I use (e.g., one desktop has emacs and an xterm,
> another has ezppp and xmftp, another has Netscape, etc.).  When I
> eventually switch to using gnome as my "desktop environment" will I
> still be able to use fvwm with the multiple desktops?

You can use as much or as little of GNOME as you like.  If you have a
GNOME-enabled wm (E, icewm) you get a few extra bells and whistles.  I
run fvwm at home and dtwm at work, doing GNOME dev work...


> 3. In theory, I should be able to install gnome at work too (Sun
> Solaris 2.6) - I didn't have any problems getting gtk to work.  In
> practice will I be able to?

Yup.  If you don't want to compile the latest released GNOME version,
packages for solaris 2.6 are here:  http://ext1.nea-fast.com/~jgarzik/gnome/

That's just the basic libs for development, not all the programs and
such.

	Jeff