R&Darktable build on Linux - help

[dim]

Did you restart the compilation?

[difrkaguilar (Franklin Aguilar Matos)]

I did it once and then I did it again but both times I got the same error.

[dim]

Did you verify all needed dependencies? Just after the build command, you can see which packages are missing

[difrkaguilar (Franklin Aguilar Matos)]

Thanks, I’ll doit ASAP.

[Gotflute (Jason)]

I successfully (I think) build darktable for Pop OS 22.10, with one caveat that I will get to later in the post. If nothing else, this Fork I am embracing, along with

Some thoughts and questions, as I start getting used to being more “bleeding edge” and hopefully being more helpful around here:

—The build instructions for my OS worked fine with one caveat that I’ll get to a little later. The Github readme has copied and posted instructions for 3.8.1, but you have to replace the github address for the R-Darktable page. So the process (for people like me who aren’t as experienced) is:

1. Install all of the dependencies listed for your distro, as listed on https://github.com/aurelienpierre/R-Darktable

2. Clone and build using the following commands:

git clone --recurse-submodules --depth 1 https://github.com/aurelienpierre/R-Darktable.git
cd darktable
git fetch --tags
git checkout tags/release-3.8.1

Notice the github address is different (for those of us who aren’t experienced and want to just copy/paste commands. It seemed to “work” using the git checkout command unchanged… is this correct if I am building the “fork”?

3. Get submodules:
   git submodule update --init

4. Compile using the script:
   ./build.sh --prefix /opt/darktable --build-type Release --install --sudo

I know in theory to to “fix this” on the github, but could someone help me/go over it/just do it, as I don’t want to cause more harm than good while I learn to use github better… so any help would be appreciated.

Now for my issue. The build worked and I can open the program; however, it doesn’t show as installed: typing “darktable” in terminal asks me if I want to install it, but when I search for darktable in my launcher, darktable comes up with a gear logo: clicking on that opens it.

The last step listed on the readme is:
ln -s /opt/darktable/share/applications/darktable.desktop /usr/share/applications/darktable.desktop

When I type that, I get:
ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘/usr/share/applications/darktable.desktop’: File exists

There is a file called darktable.desktop in both the /opt/share/applications/ and in /user/share/applications

I thought I had removed everything to do this as a fresh install. Help?

I can at least use this (and my opinion, once it is build, I like it better than 4.0) so I’m I guess I ready to learn more to help debug etc (starting with the readme file

[RawConvert (Andrew)]

@Gotflute

I thought I had removed everything to do this as a fresh install. Help?

I posted up some build details a while back, these might (or might not) help you.

How to build sigmoid and dt

Summary - if like me you’ve previously thought building software was too tricky, well it’s not, have a go! devs can help by posting up the details to build their changes. Then more people can test them! below shows how to build sigmoid in particular, and dt “master” generally, under Ubuntu 20.04. I expect this will work under a number of linux flavours. I am no expert in this so bear that in mind. There are various ways to build, some slicker than what I will describe. Also a wiki is availab…

You can build R&Dt by following the Master process, but cloning the location you’re already using rather than the mainstream git location. You can have various independent builds of dt/R&Dt if you wish.
Are you sure you’ve built R&Dt? Was that your intention? I think by using the 3.8.1 tag you’ve built mainstream dt of that version. Or am I misunderstanding something? Have another look at the README in Aurelien’s github.

[Gotflute (Jason)]

@RawConvert

I posted up some build details a while back, these might (or might not) help you.

Thanks. I’ll take a look through: trying to learn more about this and not just “copy/paste” as I have done in the past. I’ll like to help as a tester for both this fork as well as the “VKDT” project that is coming down the pike, but I’m of no help if I can’t get things built.

You can build R&Dt by following the Master process, but cloning the location you’re already using rather than the mainstream git location. You can have various independent builds of dt/R&Dt if you wish.

I think I understand what you mean.

Are you sure you’ve built R&Dt?

I’m pretty sure: the logo when you are in is changed to R&Darktable (with the Red A), and I have access to the Filmic V6, spot metering and spot color matching…

Was that your intention?

No, my intention was to build the R&Dt fork.

I think by using the 3.8.1 tag you’ve built mainstream dt of that version. Or am I misunderstanding something? Have another look at the README in Aurelien’s github.

I don’t know why I have that tag in there. I will try building without it and see what happens and re
I was following the build instructions on the R&Dt readme.

To get things working as well as i did, I had to change the git call to the R&Dt repository and not the one listed on Aurelien’s readme

I think after his introduction to R&Dt Aurelien just copied the build instructions for 3.8.1 in his readme, thinking people that knew what they were doing would just change what is needed. It proves that I don’t know what I am doing… yet

Also, I would put this issue up on the github, but… I don’t know how to do this either. Lots to learn. Again, the good news for me in this is it will force me to learn these processes, something I have wanted to do, but always yeilded to other ways to get current Dt on linux.

Thanks for your suggestions: I’ll check out your build instructions, compare and contrast to what I was doing, and will report back.

[priort (Todd Prior)]

I built it on WIndows…(I had all the dependencies from darktable)

Clone R&D repo
git pull just to check
git submodule init
git submodule update
./build.sh

no command line additions to the commands and it built fine… final step was to build a package as the target not a direct install…

Worked fine with not much effort…

[kofa (István Kovács)]

@Gotflute

git clone --recurse-submodules --depth 1 GitHub - aurelienpierreeng/ansel: A darktable fork minus the bloat plus some design vision.
cd darktable
git fetch --tags
git checkout tags/release-3.8.1

1. git clone will use the name of the repo to create the directory, so it’ll check the code out to R-Darktable, not to darktable. So your cd darktable command is wrong; it should be cd R-Darktable.
2. You should not be building the release-3.8.1 tag, but the master branch, or the dev branch:
   git checkout master or git checkout dev, and then refresh it from time to time using git pull.

[Gotflute (Jason)]

Thanks @kofa

1. git clone will use the name of the repo to create the directory, so it’ll check the code out to R-Darktable, not to darktable. So your cd darktable command is wrong; it should be cd R-Darktable.

Yup. I didn’t do that haha. Well, I did at first, per the readme, but then I saw the name of the directory that was made

2. You should not be building the release-3.8.1 tag, but the master branch, or the dev branch:
   git checkout master or git checkout dev, and then refresh it from time to time using git pull.

Got it. That makes sense. I’ll do the rebuild (after doing some rm to remove what I have, and I’ll report back).

[kofa (István Kovács)]

See also my comment above:

R&Darktable build on Linux - help

Once you clone it, you can keep it updated with the following commands (these assume that darktable sources are in ~/darktable): cd ~/darktable git clean -d -f -x git pull --rebase git submodule update ./build.sh <whatever params you want> rm -rf ~/.cache/darktable/cached_kernels* git clean -d -f -x makes sure you start with a new build environment (no left-over files from the previous build). git pull --rebase updates the code; git submodule update updates the submodules. rm -rf ~/.cache/d…

[priort (Todd Prior)]

I came across this on AP’s Github repo as a comment…

" PS: For anyone using GNU Guix as a distro or package manager, I was able to build this fork with guix build darktable --with-git-url=darktable=https://github.com/aurelienpierre/R-Darktable or even better, run it directly with guix shell darktable --with-git-url=darktable=https://github.com/aurelienpierre/R-Darktable -- darktable . It just works."

[Gotflute (Jason)]

@kofa
Thanks for all of your help.

It built with the same as before and I’ll still getting the same issue with creating an “icon” and letting my system know that darktable is a program:

ln -s /opt/darktable/share/applications/darktable.desktop /usr/share/applications/darktable.desktop

I received the same error:

ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘/usr/share/applications/darktable.desktop’: File exists
jasonblank@pop-os:~/R-Darktable$ darktable

I’m open to suggestions, but for now, I’ll try using the Guix package manager, per @priort (and AP)… but I would like to know how to do this, if not for anything else, for pride…haha

[kofa (István Kovács)]

The file in /usr/share/applications/darktable.desktop belongs to some package installed via your distro’s package manager. Don’t overwrite such files, or you’ll risk conflicts (e.g. when you remove or upgrade the package that originally provided the file, it’ll be removed or overwritten again).
You don’t need to put the .desktop files under /usr/share/application.

Personally, I run darktable and R-Darktable from the command-line, since when running dev versions, the debug output may come handy.

See here or use your favourite search engine with ‘linux how to use desktop files’:

How to Create a .Desktop File For Your Application in Linux - Make Tech Easier

[Gotflute (Jason)]

Thanks.

[davidvj (David Vincent-Jones)]

Mike … simply install ‘rdarktable’ from the Arch repos. It will replace ‘darktable’ but retain all of your settings.
Works a treat!

[priort (Todd Prior)]

This was reported for 4.0 on FB…I asked for the poster to check the coefficients…they don’t change so its just changing it to custom for some reason but I think there is no change in the wb at least that was what was reported in response to my query back to the poster there…

[Dean]

I installed it from Arch and it works perfectly. First I had download from git and compiled it from scratch but it did not seem to run smoothly on my laptop so I deleted it and went with the Arch version which worked perfect so I’ll go with this for now.

[Mike_Bing]

I’m on Manjaro so also interested in getting it via the AUR. I see AUR reporting the version as

3.9.0.r1643.g60bbf83ac-1

Where did in install to in your system? Under /usr or /opt?

[Dean]

@Mike_Bing

Where did in install to in your system? Under /usr or /opt?

Did you look for rdarktable? it just install in its default location.