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Across Lite for Linux


skyhawk
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Now that I have changed-over to Mandriva Free 2007, I would like to use the Linux version of the Across Lite crossword-puzzle program that I regularly ran under Windows. This might not be possible, however, because it looks like the Linux version could be very out-dated, since the Windows version has the "look" of vintage Windows 3.1 software. Or, it might be possible to run the program under Mandriva Free 2007, if it only needs a missing library, or if I can point the loader to the proper search path, which I do not yet know how to do.

 

Two versions of the Linux software are available: one version is designed for Linux distributions with Motif (I assume this refers to the old Motif Window Manager); the other version is for Linux distributions without Motif. I downloaded the version designed for a Linux distribution without Motif; I am using KDE.

 

The README file packaged with the download contains the following pertinent notes:

 

===============================================================

(START) DISTRIBUTION NOTES -- Across Lite for Linux on x86 v1.2

===============================================================

 

1. Installation notes and comments

----------------------------------

 

1.1 Dynamic libraries

 

The program is dynamically linked to the following libraries which must exist in a path searched by the loader in order to run the program:

 

libXt.so.6 (X11R6 tested with 6.0 libraries)

libXext.so.6

libX11.so.6

libXp.so.6

libc.so.6 (tested with 2.0.7)

libSM.so.6

libICE.so.6

libXpm.so.4 (tested with 4.10)

libstdc++.so.2.8

libm.so.6

/lib/ld-linux.so.2

 

in the statically linked to Motif version and additionally to

 

libXm.so.2

 

in the dynamically linked version. The Motif library must be present in /usr/X11R6/lib.

 

All the above libraries except for libXm.so.2 are part of standard Linux installations. If you do not have the Motif library available from a third-party vendor, use the statically linked to Motif version of this program.

 

The executable is in ELF format and will only run on ELF linux distributions with appropriate ELF shared libraries. It has been compiled with libc6 (glibc) libraries and will only work with Linux 2.x installations with libc6.

 

The paths to all directories in which the above libraries are placed must be searchable by the loader either as a default or through a specification of the path in the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable. Please consult a Linux FAQ or guide and/or your shell documentation for details.

 

To check that all libraries are installed and accessible, type

 

ldd acrossl

 

There should not be a (not found) entry in the list of dynamically linked entries.

 

If the libraries can be found, then you are ready to run Across Lite.

 

1.3 Incompatibilities with libraries

 

The ELF Linux system has undergone some drastic evolution and along the way many incompatibilities exist between the libraries. We consider the versions mentioned above the minimum requirements for any support questions. If you upgrade any of the libraries above, please make sure that you upgrade all libraries to the current stable versions.

 

===============================================================

(END) DISTRIBUTION NOTES -- Across Lite for Linux on x86 v1.2

===============================================================

 

Running "ldd acrossl" gives the following output:

 

linux-gate.so.1 => (0xbfffe000)

libXt.so.6 => /usr/lib/libXt.so.6 (0xb7ec3000)

libXext.so.6 => /usr/lib/libXext.so.6 (0xb7eb4000)

libX11.so.6 => /usr/lib/libX11.so.6 (0xb7db6000)

libXp.so.6 => /usr/lib/libXp.so.6 (0xb7dae000)

libXpm.so.4 => /usr/lib/libXpm.so.4 (0xb7d9d000)

libstdc++.so.2.8 => not found

libm.so.6 => /lib/i686/libm.so.6 (0xb7d77000)

libc.so.6 => /lib/i686/libc.so.6 (0xb7c4a000)

libSM.so.6 => /usr/lib/libSM.so.6 (0xb7c41000)

libICE.so.6 => /usr/lib/libICE.so.6 (0xb7c28000)

libXau.so.6 => /usr/lib/libXau.so.6 (0xb7c25000)

libXdmcp.so.6 => /usr/lib/libXdmcp.so.6 (0xb7c1f000)

libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0xb7c1a000)

/lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7f2f000)

 

The file libstdc++.so.2.8 cannot be found on my system. I do have the file libstdc++.so.6.8, however. At this time, I am assuming that the file I do have is an updated version of the file that I do not have. Correct me, please, if I am wrong.

 

Comments on whether or not this Linux software can be made to run under Mandriva Free 2007 would be appreciated. I have not yet used ldconfig, and the man page covering it is rather cryptic to me, so I will need some specifics if a fix involves using ldconfig.

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The file libstdc++.so.2.8 cannot be found on my system. I do have the file libstdc++.so.6.8, however. At this time, I am assuming that the file I do have is an updated version of the file that I do not have.

Yes, that is correct.

 

Here's a quick dirty hack that may work? I've used it for 'other' things successfully.

 

In a terminal do

cd /usr/lib && ls |grep libstdc

now symlink the oldest version on your system. Mine was libstdc++.so.5.0.7 (so if you have libstdc++.so.5.0.7, use it, or replace it in the next command with the oldest version you have), so do

su

enter password, then do

ln -s libstdc++.so.5.0.7 libstdc++.so.2.8

now you have a libstdc++.so.2.8 symlinked to an existing lib in your system.

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The symbolic link does not seem to work in this case. I still have at least two other sources where I might find a solution to this little problem. I am not willing to give up completely just yet; this could be a useful learning experience. I will post again if I find a solution.

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It might be easier to compile something called "krosswordplayer" - Just out of interest I got the tar from here and apart from a wayward semicolon it compiled without a hitch. It can load puz files and let you solve them, reveals words if you get stuck etc. It's a KDE application built using Qt, so maybe more modern than what you're trying to compile.

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Thanks for the link to the KDE software. My problem with Across Lite is covered in Litsoft's online help ... not easy to find. Basically, many people have experienced the same problem with out-dated libraries, and it looks like no new coding will be done on Across Lite. There is also Xword available to open PUZ files, but it requires Python bindings and is not totally KDE-friendly, as far as printing is concerned.

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Just for the heck of it I tried installing the windows version of AcrossLite using CodeWeaver's CrossOver-Linux which is an easy to use implementation of wine. It installed fine and seems to be running OK. I installed the WinXP,Win2000,WinMe,Win98 version. I'm fairly certain you could get this to run under wine.

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WINE should run the Windows version just fine. It seems to be a fairly simple program.

 

Have you tried to install the Linux version via urpmi? It might be in one of the more obscure repositories. If you've set up your sources with our Easy Urpmi utility, try and see if you can't take that route as it will solve all of the dependancies for you.

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I think running an open source, free, KDE Qt application is preferable to trying to get a windows executable to run through wine. It seems like krosswordplayer does everything you want it to.

And I'm pretty sure across lite isn't in the Mandriva rpm repositories, at least not the standard ones.

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I think running an open source, free, KDE Qt application is preferable to trying to get a windows executable to run through wine. It seems like krosswordplayer does everything you want it to.

And I'm pretty sure across lite isn't in the Mandriva rpm repositories, at least not the standard ones.

Well there are always alternatives, but sometimes you find that one app that you really prefer using. For me it's Adobe Audition (previously Cool Edit). Yes, there is other good software out there, but I just can't get things done as well with them as I can with Audition. I know its ins and outs, where to find everything and I like its interface, GUI, etc. So when I ask how to get it running I don't want to hear about alternatives - otherwise I would have asked ;)

 

So let's stick to skyhawk's topic of getting Across running.

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The symbolic link does not seem to work in this case. I still have at least two other sources where I might find a solution to this little problem. I am not willing to give up completely just yet; this could be a useful learning experience.

OK, I had some extra time this morning so I now have this working for you.

 

First you must remove the symlink you made in /usr/lib. You must use the 'Linux (x86) w/ Motif lib' version, and you will need the libstdc++.so.2.8.1.1 from this rpm.

 

Create a temp directory and d/l the rpm to it. Then in a terminal cd to the temp directory. Then do

rpm2cpio compat-libstdc++-3.1-1.i386.rpm |cpio -ivd

then

cd usr/lib

then as root do

cp libstdc++.so.2.8.1.1 /usr/lib/

then

ln -s libstdc++.so.2.8.1.1 libstdc++.so.2.8

exit to your user name, and start the program as normal.

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I was just playing with this and noticed some errors in the terminal about netscape. To fix this and use the 'help' built into the program, go to Help > How to use help > change the help viewer to: firefox, or whatever you use. :)

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The libstdc++.so.2.8 file, as well as, libstdc++.so.2.8.1.1, can be downloaded from:

 

ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libstdc++/

 

I will be using libstdc++.so.2.8 which will eliminate the need for a symbolic link. Finding the library was not easy; it took about two hours of Googling.

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In order for that to work properly, you will have to compile the lib with the same older version of GCC as the binary was compiled with that you are trying to use. This is why I extracted the lib from an older rpm.

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Thanks Greg2. That thought crossed my mind soon after I viewed the contents of the tarball I downloaded. I had mistakenly assumed that older libraries could be compiled using a newer compiler. My only previous exposure to compiling programs is some dabbling I did with Borland's Turbo C++ 3.0 for MS-DOS. So, I will follow your advice on which library to use and the symbolic link to it.

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