Dependencies:

Not all the programs required by Skencil are installed by default. So, before adding the Skencil RPMs, it is necessary to add these RPMs first. It is highly suggested that the YaST(2) SuSE utility be used to add the application needed by Skencil. The YaST(2) utility will determine any SuSE related dependencies these applications may have.

To install the dependency program packages (located on the SuSE CD set) you need to get to the "Install and Remove Software" panel of YaST2. From the SuSE start menu select "Control Center" -> "YaST2 Modules" (index tab) -> Software -> "Install and Remove Software". Click the "Administrator Mode" button. This action should prompt you for the root-user password. Enter the password and the panel will start up. I may take a while for the panel to start up for the installed packages are being read.

The "Search" filter should be the default filter. If not, use the "Filter" selection drop menu to select "Search". Provide the base name of the program package you want to install (or part of it) and then click the "Search" button. A list of matches to the string query will be presented. Identify the correct program package and select its check box (a black check mark will be used.). If the program package is already installed it will have a blue check mark in the check box (See Fig. 1, below.).

It is possible to select several packages and then do another search without loosing the selections made. Hence, all the dependency program packages can be installed in one YaST2 session. When the all the dependency packages are selected, click the "Accept" button in the bottom right corner of the "Install and Remove Software" panel. This action will most likely prompt you to accept or decline installing other packages that are dependencies to the packages selected. Accept these dependencies - it always best to do so!

Fig. 1 - YaST2 under KDE Control Center.

Once the dependencies of the dependency packages are accepted, YaST2 will prompt you for the CD(s) needed. Place the requested CD into the your computers CD ROM reader and select "OK". Repeat this as requested. When done YaST2 will sun SuSEconfig, you may need to select "Finnish" - depending on YaST(2) version. The installation of the dependencies for Skencil is done.

If you have a high-speed Internet connection it is a good idea to update you system after installing the above dependencies. (I realize that this may not be an option for some users. Those with Dial-up Internet connections) The RPMs where made on patched systems (updates as of 2/20/05-2/26/05). I don't think this will be an issue for those who are unable to update their systems due to slow Internet access.

A quick alternative way to determine if you already have the package needed, use the rpm query command at the command line (terminal):

For example: "rpm -q --all | grep -i python" to see if python is installed.

Installing the RPMs:

Once the dependency applications a libraries are installed, you may install the Skencil RPMs. The easiest way to install all the RPMs is to put them into a directory and rpm all at once (Fig. 2, see below. Note: using the asterisk ("*") alone will not work, the ".rpm" extension is needed.).

Fig.2 - using rpm   -ivh   ./*.rpm to install all RPMs at once.

After the RPMs are installed, a desktop icon launcher is needed. A pre-configured icon launcher for KDE is provided in the directory /usr/share/skencil/kde. This icon launcher can be copied to the desktop via the command line or by using the KDE file browser (Fig. 3, below). Note that this launcher starts Skencil from a terminal. This is due to an issue with KDE and skLaTeX. (Do not remove the PNG icon in the "kde" directory, the icon launcher expects it to be there.)

Fig.3 - Copy the pre-configured KDE launcher to desktop.

Uninstalling the RPMs:

To uninstall the RPMs, use the rpm -e command. Before starting the removal process, identified the names of the installed RPMs. This can be done in the same way packages could queried at the command line - above. This time use the name "jab" - it is a common sub string to all the RPMs.

Once the list is found, use the "-e" rpm option for each installed package.

For example: rpm -e skencil-0.6.17-jab_SuSE_9.2 will remove the Skencil binaries.

The order of removal, in this case, is not that important. But removing skLaTeX before Skencil is not a bad idea.