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Author Topic: Applications requiring ncurses  (Read 2640 times)

Offline t18

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Applications requiring ncurses
« on: May 13, 2025, 04:18:38 AM »
Hello,

I'm trying to run older software requiring the ncurses package.

Wordperfect 8 works fine if setting LD_LIBRARY_PATH to the separate directory where the ncurses is installed.

Lotus 123 doesn't.

What to do in these cases?

Many thanks.

Offline Rich

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2025, 08:57:27 AM »
Hi t18
Saying "It doesn't work" and not providing any error
messages (clues) makes it difficult to provide an answer.

This is strictly guesswork, but if you are using a command
with this basic format:
Code: [Select]
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Your/Path/To/ncurses; lotus123
Try changing it to:
Code: [Select]
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Your/Path/To/ncurses
lotus123

It is also possible  LD_LIBRARY_PATH  is the wrong tool for the job.
Maybe  LD_PRELOAD  is what you need.

Without more information, any answers are only guesses.

Offline Juanito

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2025, 09:23:30 AM »
Often you need to search the configure script to see how it tests for ncurses:

The include path often needs changing to /usr/local/include/ncursesw
The library test often needs changing to ncursesw, formw, etc
LIBS="-L /usr/local/lib lncursesw" sometimes helps

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2025, 11:21:44 AM »
The error is just "error while loading shared libraries: libncurses.so.6: no such file or dir".

Although is is installed but in a separate directory.

Offline Juanito

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2025, 11:26:17 AM »
The file is called libncursesw.so.6 in tinycore

Offline patrikg

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2025, 12:07:47 PM »
I think, I saw in the ncursesw in the install stage they make a link to the old ncurses lib.
Maybe the tce don't do that.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2025, 12:09:42 PM by patrikg »

Offline Rich

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2025, 12:21:01 PM »
Hi t18
The current ncurses doesn't provide links to the old names.
I presume you are running TC16, so try:
Code: [Select]
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libncursesw.so /usr/local/lib/libncurses.so
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libncursesw.so.6 /usr/local/lib/libncurses.so.6
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libncursesw.so.6.5 /usr/local/lib/libncurses.so.6.5

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2025, 01:10:48 PM »
Hi Rich,

I'm running TC 15.

The links seems to work but now the program requires libtinfo.so.6 (and maybe lm, please see the post below) that I can't find anywhere.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2025, 01:20:43 PM by t18 »

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2025, 01:19:34 PM »
Often you need to search the configure script to see how it tests for ncurses:

The include path often needs changing to /usr/local/include/ncursesw
The library test often needs changing to ncursesw, formw, etc
LIBS="-L /usr/local/lib lncursesw" sometimes helps

No configure, just 3 Makefiles in which there are the following references:

1)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncurses -ltinfo -lm
2)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncurses -ltinfo
3)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS=-lncurses -ltinfo

Offline Rich

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2025, 02:01:15 PM »
Hi t18
libtinfo.so  was last available in  ncurses.tcz  from  TC10.

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2025, 02:43:21 PM »
Hi t18
libtinfo.so  was last available in  ncurses.tcz  from  TC10.

Hasn't it be replaced with anything else to link to?

Offline Rich

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2025, 03:22:47 PM »
Hi t18
According to this:
https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,17553.msg105304.html#msg105304

You can symlink libtinfo to libncurses:
Code: [Select]
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libncursesw.so.6 /usr/local/lib/libtinfo.so.6

Offline Juanito

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2025, 04:01:18 PM »
No configure, just 3 Makefiles in which there are the following references:

I’m not sure if you’re building the app or using an already built app, but if you’re compiling it, you could try this:

1)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw -lm
2)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw
3)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw
-lm refers to libm in the base.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2025, 04:03:50 PM by Juanito »

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2025, 04:18:07 PM »
Hi t18
According to this:
https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,17553.msg105304.html#msg105304

You can symlink libtinfo to libncurses:
Code: [Select]
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libncursesw.so.6 /usr/local/lib/libtinfo.so.6

Doing so, it can't find libncurses anymore either.

Offline t18

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Re: Applications requiring ncurses
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2025, 04:21:45 PM »
No configure, just 3 Makefiles in which there are the following references:

I’m not sure if you’re building the app or using an already built app, but if you’re compiling it, you could try this:

1)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw -lm
2)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw
3)
Code: [Select]
LDLIBS = -lncursesw
-lm refers to libm in the base.

This guy: "taviso/123elf: A native port of Lotus 1-2-3 to Linux" has made the code to run Lotus per Unix on Linux. https://github.com/taviso/123elf
So I'm compiling it.

I'll try to omit libtinfo as you stated.