This is a request, directed to Janis, that some serious consideration be given to expanding and clarifying the installation notes packaged with the Vavoom source code tarballs. My computer is running Mandriva 2007.0, kernel 2.6.17-5mdv. I want to install Vavoom-1.24.
I quote below from the installation notes provided with vavoom-1.24.tar.gz:
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(BEGIN QUOTED TEXT) 3.2 Linux/UNIX installation
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In order to compile and run Vavoom under Linux, you need the following:
Compiler and tools:
* GNU C++ Compiler, GNU make (every LINUX user must have them)
Libraries:
* zlib (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.zlib.net">http://www.zlib.net</a><!-- m -->)
* libpng (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.libpng.org">http://www.libpng.org</a><!-- m -->)
* libjpeg (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ijg.org">http://www.ijg.org</a><!-- m -->)
* Allegro 4.0 (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://alleg.sourceforge.net">http://alleg.sourceforge.net</a><!-- m -->)
or
* SDL 1.2 (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.libsdl.org">http://www.libsdl.org</a><!-- m -->) and SDL_mixer 1.2
(<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/">http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_mixer/</a><!-- m -->).
* OpenGL: OpenGL implementation from your video card's manufacturer
or MESA (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.mesa3d.org">http://www.mesa3d.org</a><!-- m -->) and X-Windows development libraries.
* AllegroGL (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://allegrogl.sourceforge.net">http://allegrogl.sourceforge.net</a><!-- m -->) if you want to use OpenGL
with Allegro driver.
Optional:
* OpenAL (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.openal.org">http://www.openal.org</a><!-- m -->), the source must be checked out from the
CVS repository. You will find info on this on OpenAL website or at Creative
developer centre (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://developer.creative.com">http://developer.creative.com</a><!-- m -->).
* libvorbis (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.vorbis.com">http://www.vorbis.com</a><!-- m -->)
* libmad (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/">http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/</a><!-- m -->)
* mikmod (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://mikmod.raphnet.net/">http://mikmod.raphnet.net/</a><!-- m -->)
* FLAC (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://flac.sourceforge.net/">http://flac.sourceforge.net/</a><!-- m -->)
And of course the Vavoom sources.
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(END QUOTED TEXT) 3.2 Linux/UNIX installation
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Specifically, I want to compile the source code using SDL 1.2. I have the SDL 1.2 run-time libraries installed, but I have already discovered that I need the development files included in libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586.rpm. When I attempt to install that rpm, I get the following list of failed dependencies:
[me@mycomputer archive]$ rpm -ivh libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586.rpm
error: Failed dependencies:
devel(libaa) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libaudio) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libdirect-0.9) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libdirectfb-0.9) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libfusion-0.9) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libgg) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libggi) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libgii) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libgpm) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
devel(libslang) is needed by libSDL1.2-devel-1.2.11-3mdv2007.0.i586
All of this is not covered, or even hinted at, in the installation notes. I am also expecting that, if I begin satisfying these failed dependencies, I will find additional failed dependencies. So, I could begin to feel as if I am trapped in an endless loop. I am a very patient and persistent fellow, however, so I have little doubt that I will be able to see the installation process through to the end. A word of warning in the documentation might be appropriate, though, for those individuals who are easily frustrated. Vavoom does not seem to be a very active topic in some of the popular Linux forums, so I am wondering if installation difficulties have prevented it from rising to the top of the list of Linux game engines.
I would like to see some clarification as to the advantages, if any, of downloading and installing the optional components mentioned in the Vavoom documentation, specifically:
* OpenAL (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.openal.org">http://www.openal.org</a><!-- m -->), the source must be checked out from the
CVS repository. You will find info on this on OpenAL website or at Creative
developer centre (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://developer.creative.com">http://developer.creative.com</a><!-- m -->).
* libvorbis (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.vorbis.com">http://www.vorbis.com</a><!-- m -->)
* libmad (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/">http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/</a><!-- m -->)
* mikmod (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://mikmod.raphnet.net/">http://mikmod.raphnet.net/</a><!-- m -->)
* FLAC (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://flac.sourceforge.net/">http://flac.sourceforge.net/</a><!-- m -->)
My present intent is to compile the Vavoom source code with SDL 1.2 and OpenGL. According to the documentation, the following parameters are available when the configuration script is run:
--prefix=PATH - specify prefix of installation. Default is /usr/local
--with-allegro - use Allegro for hardware API. This is the default.
--with-sdl - use SDL for hardware API.
--without-opengl - compile without OpenGL support.
--without-openal - compile without OpenAL support.
Thus, my configuration script should read (maybe):
./configure --with-sdl --without-openal
Correct me if I am wrong on this. Also, let me (and others) know if it might be simpler to compile with Allegro, rather than SDL 1.2. It looks like I might be able to avoid a lot of failed dependencies by choosing Allegro.
Vavoom is a very ambitious project. The screenshots I have seen of Vavoom in action are impressive, and I definitely do not want to retrograde by using DOSemu to run Doom, Heretic, and Hexen. From what I have read, my Nvidia TNT2 Pro graphics card should be adequate to handle the game engine in 2D-accelerated mode, which is all I can manage with the OpenGL driver.