APLX for Linux


INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS


The Linux operating system and environment is constantly being improved,
extended and amended by a wide range of individuals and organisations.
Over time, different distributions of Linux incorporate different sets
of changes to the system components. While this diversity and constant
revision is one of the main strengths of Linux, it can give rise to
compatibility problems when using newer applications with older systems.

To use APLX for Linux, you will need to ensure that your Linux system meets
the installation requirements described below. Most recent versions of Linux
already satisfy these prerequisites.


1. Linux kernel 2.2 or higher

   APLX for Linux does not run correctly with older versions of the Linux
   kernel. To check the kernel version of your system, use the "uname"
   command:

       uname -r


2. GLIBC version 2.2 or higher

   Certain versions of the glibc loader have a bug which can cause problems
   during loading and unloading of shared libraries. APLX for Linux requires
   glibc version 2.2 or later.  If you are unable to upgrade to glibc 2.2,
   a patched version of glibc 2.1.2 or later is also valid.
   
   If your system uses the Red Hat package manager "rpm", you can easily
   check which version of glibc you have installed using the "rpm" command
   
       rpm -qa | grep libc
   
   "rpm -qa" lists all the packages installed on your system, and "grep libc"
   shows only those whose names contain "libc". This will probably list several
   packages, but the package in question will look something like:

       glibc-2.1.3-22B

   where the version is included in the package name. Note that SUSE Linux
   refers to "glibc" as "libc", but uses the same version numbering system.
   

3. LIBJPEG 6.2 or higher

   APLX for Linux requires libjpeg version 6.2 or higher. To check whether you
   have libjpeg installed, and to see its version number, you can use "rpm"
   as for GLIBC:
   
       rpm -qa | grep libjpeg

   or you can look for the shared library file directly, e.g.:
   
       ls -l /usr/lib/ | grep libjpeg

   This should show a file or link "libjpeg.so.X.Y.." where X.Y >= 6.2


4. An X11R6 compatible version of X-windows

   APLX for Linux is a GUI application and requires the X-windows system.
   Almost every version of Linux comes with XFree86, which is X11R6
   compatible and suitable for running APLX. Other commercial X-servers
   are available and these are typically X11R6 compatible. In the unlikely
   event that your system does not have X-windows, it is probably available
   as an installation option with your distribution of Linux.




UPDATING YOUR SYSTEM

If your system does not meet the requirements listed above, you will need to
update the relevant components. The method for doing this will depend on which
distribution of Linux you have and how it has been configured.

The first place to look for updates and information is the website for your
distribution. 

"http://rpmfind.net/" provides an excellent searcheable database of packages 
and updates for most distributions and versions of Linux.

For more information on specific components, see these websites:
    Linux kernel:   http://www.kernel.org/
    GLIBC:          http://www.gnu.org/software/glibc/
    LIBJPEG:        http://www.ijg.org/
    XFree86:        http://www.xfree86.org


The graphical front-end for APLX for Linux was developed using Borland Kylix 3
and the Kylix development environment itself has the same installation
requirements as APLX for Linux. Borland's developer site

    http://www.borland.com/devsupport

has a wealth of information, articles and resources describing the installation
requirements and offering solutions for specific distributions and versions.

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

    support@microapl.co.uk
    
or visit our website:

    www.microapl.co.uk/apl


Have fun!
