newbie help wanted with installing/using netpbm through macports

[Ryan Schmidt]

On Jan 14, 2008, at 14:54, Matt wrote:

> I am trying to compile an intel mac compatible version of an open  
> source
> printer driver so I can use my old but beloved Alps printer on my  
> new intel
> imac.  The source for the driver is here:
>
> http://openprinting.org/show_driver.cgi? 
> driver=ppmtomd&fromprinter=Alps-MD-1000
>
> I downloaded the source for the driver and tried to perform a make  
> on it in
> the terminal.  The string of errors showed me that it was missing  
> the pgm.h
> and ppm.h header files.  Searching for these files online I found  
> that they
> belong to the netpbm library.  It seemed like the easiest way to  
> install
> netpbm and any dependant libraries was through macports.
>
> I succesfully downloaded, installed, and updated macports, then  
> told it to
> install netpbm.  I got no errors and everything looked good.   
> Unfortunately,
> the source for the ppmtomd driver still can't find those header files
> (though I can through spotlight).

You probably haven't told the ppmtomd build system that you've  
installed netpbm in /opt/local and it probably won't think to look  
there on its own.


> When I check to see what ports I have installed I get the following  
> output:
>
> iMatt:~ mwoods$ port installed
> The following ports are currently installed:
>  jasper @1.701.0_0 (active)
>  jpeg @6b_2 (active)
>  libpng @1.2.24_0 (active)
>  netpbm @10.26.48_0 (active)
>  tiff @3.8.2_1+macosx (active)
>  zlib @1.2.3_1 (active)
> iMatt:~ mwoods$
>
> if they were installed properly though, I would think I could use the
> "which" command on them.

If they all provided a binary by the same name as the port, then yes.  
But not all ports provide binaries of the same name. Not all ports  
even provide binaries. (Some just provide libraries.)

> Unfortunately, the only port that responds to
> "which" is jasper which I assume is a dependent library that was  
> installed
> with netpbm.
>
> iMatt:~ mwoods$ which netpbm
> iMatt:~ mwoods$ which jasper
> /opt/local/bin/jasper

Yes. As you can see with "port deps netpbm", netpbm declares a  
library dependency on jasper.

> I suspect either netpbm is not installed properly, or I have to do  
> something
> to the makefile of the printer driver to get it to find those  
> libraries, but
> I haven't been able to figure it out.

netpbm is likely installed just fine. "port contents netpbm" will  
show you everything it installed. It looks like it installs many  
binaries but none called "netpbm". It does install a libnetpbm, but  
"which" does not search for libraries, only binaries.


Bottom line: when you configure and compile ppmtomd, you just need to  
tell it where netpbm is. This could help:

export CFLAGS="-I/opt/local/include"
export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/local/lib"

And then follow the instructions for how to compile ppmtomd.