On 2021-05-21, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
> pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org> wrote:
>> On 2021-05-21, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>> pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org> wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>>>> 'library' of background images.
>>>>
>>>> That sounds like it might do the trick.
>>>> Last time I tried to download xv it was not available. I've never done a
>>>> tarball, but there's always a first time.
>>>
>>> You can get a copy of the source from here:
>>> https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-14.2/source/xap/xv/
>>>
>>> You'll have to compile it yourself.
>>
>> Hmm. Maybe I will try that so I can pat myself on the back. I've never
>> succeeded before...I fell into dependency hell...
>> "You need this certain library...."
>> (download)
>> "Now you need *this* library..."
>> (download)
>> lather, rinse, repeat....give up. Of course, this was long time ago,
>> RedHat 5.2, I think.
>
> On my Slackware system, xv links to the following libs:
>
> $ ldd /usr/bin/xv
> linux-vdso.so.1 (0x00007fff34bce000)
> libtiff.so.3 => /usr/lib64/libtiff.so.3 (0x00007fa3f7ad3000)
> libjpeg.so.8 => /usr/lib64/libjpeg.so.8 (0x00007fa3f7899000)
> libpng.so.14 => /usr/lib64/libpng.so.14 (0x00007fa3f7673000)
> libz.so.1 => /lib64/libz.so.1 (0x00007fa3f745e000)
> libjasper.so.1 => /usr/lib64/libjasper.so.1 (0x00007fa3f7205000)
> libX11.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libX11.so.6 (0x00007fa3f6eca000)
> libm.so.6 => /lib64/libm.so.6 (0x00007fa3f6bc8000)
> libc.so.6 => /lib64/libc.so.6 (0x00007fa3f67fe000)
> libxcb.so.1 => /usr/lib64/libxcb.so.1 (0x00007fa3f65e0000)
> libXau.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libXau.so.6 (0x00007fa3f63dd000)
> libXdmcp.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libXdmcp.so.6 (0x00007fa3f61d8000)
> libdl.so.2 => /lib64/libdl.so.2 (0x00007fa3f5fd3000)
> /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007fa3f7d61000)
>
> They are either basic C libs, X libs, or image libraries (libjasper I
> had to look up, it is for JPEG-2000 format images).
>
> So, provided you have the X libs (you should, to run X) the basic C
> libs (nothing C based runs without these) and the image libraries
> (likely already installed) then compiling a copy up should be no big
> deal.
>
>>>> Right after I posted the original I saw that "xsetroot" is available
>>>> and thought that just writing a script and putting it in as a cronjob
>>>> might be what all you scripting gurus might do.
>>>>
>>>> But the man page says that xsetroot just does 'sprite' sized bitmaps
>>>> and not jpg images.
>>>
>>> Yes, it only does tiled bitmaps. It might accept a bitmap equal in
>>> size to the root window, and then only do one tiling (I never tested
>>> this idea). If you really wanted to use it, and if it did support
>>> "full root sized images", then the netpbm package should handle
>>> converting from a modern image format (jpeg/png) into the required
>>> bitmap for xsetroot.
>>>
>>>> I would not even need a cronjob, actually. I could have the function
>>>> and type 'change_background' or whatever when I felt like it.
>>>
>>> Yes, I've done both at various times in the past, a cron driven
>>> 'auto-swap' and a shell script to 'swap on demand'.
>>>
>>>> Maybe I'll go see if xv is on a repository yet......
>>>
>>> It is an older program, so may or may not already be packaged for your
>>> distro. But compiling it should be no big deal, and the result is a
>>> single big executable.
>>>
>> Well, that's an encouraging comment. I'll put this on my list of things to
>> try. (I always worry about messing up my sysem w/ garbage and/or failed
>> compiles...I *am* backed up...but still.)
>
> There are five binaries that get installed in Slackware for the xv
> package:
> usr/bin/xvpictoppm
> usr/bin/xv
> usr/bin/vdcomp
> usr/bin/bggen
> usr/bin/xcmap
>
> and there are zero libraries installed. So if you do get a successful
> compile, you can simply put the "xv" binary in a ~/bin directory, add
> that dir to your PATH, and use it without 'mucking up' anything with
> the rest of the system.
>

Well.....hmmm.
Thank-you for these encouraging words and "howto".
Nothing ventured, nothing gained and if you don't do something, mess up, and
try to recover. Maybe I'll try it on the "old" computer upstairs
first......

pH