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Sindi Keesan

On Tue, 24 Mar 2009, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> > Steven, if you add the gtk and gdk stuff and libXi does Seamonkey work for
> > you with glibc 2.3.1 from Slackware 9.0?   And a 2.2 kernel.


I upgraded to glibc 2.3.1 from Slackware 9.1, about a 1MB download.

I extracted libXi from Slackware 7.1 xbin (most people already have it),
libgcc_s.so.1 from Slackware 8.1 elflibs, and libstdc++.so.5.0.2 from 
Slackware 9.0 cxxlibs, copied to /usr/X11R6/lib, /usr/lib, and /usr/lib, 
ran ldconfig, and now ldd seamonkey-bin only shows that the five libraries 
that come with seamonkey are 'not found'.

If you run seamonkey from the wrapper script, it finds those libraries in 
the current directory, but unfortunately they require glibc 2.3.2.

Seamonkey can in theory be compiled to run with glibc 2.2.4 and libstdc++ 
2.9.0.  Anyone want to compile it for BL?  35MB source code.

Slackware 9.1 probably has at least glibc 2.3.2 (SW11 has 2.3.6) but it 
was compiled to require kernel 2.4.  I only use kernel 2.2 on laptops 
without USB, which work well with BL3 upgraded to glibc 2.2.5 (for Opera 
and programs I have compiled).  If I upgrade to glibc 2.3.2 (for Seamonkey 
- or later for Firefox 1.5) I will need to use 2.4 kernel even on the 
laptops for any new programs I compile with 2.3.2.  If I don't upgrade, 
precompiled programs like Seamonkey won't work on them anyway.

Upgrading to glibc 2.3.6 (from Slackware 11, optimized for 2.4 kernel) 
instead of 2.3.2 would allow copying libraries over that are needed by 
Firefox 1.5 (pango, cairo) and probably other precompiled programs. 
Upgrading to Slackware 12 libraries would provide GTK2. How badly does 
Slackware 12 work with kernel 2.4?

With only solibs upgraded (not the full package with includes) I can still 
compile.  I backed up all the libraries from glibc 2.2.5 (one had the same 
name as the new one) but things seem to be okay.

Steven, would you suggest upgrading to Slackware 9.1 glibc (adequate for 
Seamonkey 1) or 11 (adequate for Firefox 1.5) or 12 (Firefox 3 and 
Seamonkey 2 with GTK2)?

Old Seamonkey worked at three sites that new Opera fails at.  Opera lets 
you not download any images, then 'reload' one at a time.  Seamonkey 
downloads the text first so this is not important even at dialup speeds. 
You can block images for specific sites.

Seamonkey uses 4.5% of my 1GB RAM at llbean with images (2.4% for 
about:blank) and Opera 9.63 uses 3.0% of RAM at llbean but displays it 
unreadably because of how it handles popdown menus (3.1% for about:blank).

Recent glibc would allow the use of recent gcc, meaning more things would 
compile without going through hoops.  So far only one driver refused to 
compile without kernel 2.6 (cardbus wireless).

Would glibc 2.3.6 (and other libraries) from SW11 be a good compromise 
until the next SW12-based BL?  Or can SW12 glibc be used okay with kernel 
2.4?

Maybe the next Opera will do more javascript.

Sindi.