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Build setup on Linux

Before you start, read Mozilla Linux Build Prerequisites

One useful trick on Debian and Debian based distributions like Ubuntu is to use apt-get build-dep firefox. This installs everything required to build Debian's Firefox package. Since Flock is built on Firefox, this satisfies almost all of the build requirements.


[edit] Additional Requirements

  • bash: the scripts depend on bash being the default shell.

If you have the wrong default shell (for example, Ubuntu uses /bin/dash), you will get the following error:
fbuild-initialsetup.sh: 201: Syntax error: "(" unexpected

The default shell can be verified by checking what file /bin/sh is symlinked to:
$ ls -l /bin/sh
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4 Nov 16 04:55 /bin/sh -> bash

To fix it: sudo dpkg-reconfigure dash

Which is equivalent to:
$ rm /bin/sh
$ ln -s /bin/bash /bin/sh

You are probably wondering why Ubuntu does not use bash: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DashAsBinSh

  • subversion, aka svn. apt-get install subversion
  • Building will fail a first time, edit your .mozconfig and add the following to it: ac_add_options --enable-system-cairo

ccache is recommended.

[edit] Notes

  • g++ is in a separate package from gcc in some distributions.
  • GTK+-devel and libxt-dev libraries are needed at least on Ubuntu Hoary.
  • Fedora - all packages in official repos (some have different names, e.g. gcc-c++)

[edit] Successes

fbuild has been used on:

  • Fedora 7, Fedora 9
  • Debian testing
  • Ubuntu Breezy 5.10/Dapper 6.06/Edgy 6.10/Feisty 7.04/Gutsy 7.10/ Hardy 8.04
Retrieved from "http://developer.flock.com/wiki/Build_setup_on_Linux"