XCircuit Compile and Install

General

• Presence of python. XCircuit uses an embedded Python interpreter, so it is necessary to have a library and include files, not just a python executable. You may need to get the Python source and compile. Note that XCircuit will work fine without the Python interpreter: most of the functionality is duplicated in an ad-hoc command "language", mostly for setting options, changing key bindings, etc. Scripts using this ad-hoc language, however, will not be able to interact with internal objects. Python scripts can do much more, including extending the xcircuit command set and running animations.
• Presence of xpm. XPM is usually installed on modern UNIX flavors, especially Linux. XCircuit will work fine without XPM enhancements, but will lose the toolbar and icon.

In addition, compilation from source is always preferred to installation of a precompiled executable (such as an RPM file). Compilation from source allows GNU autoconf to tailor xcircuit to the abilities of your system, as described above.

Installation preparation

1. Download xcircuit from the xcircuit download page. XCircuit source comes in either tar.gz or tar.bz2 formats.
2. Uncompress with, as appropriate,

   	gunzip xcircuit-version.tar.gz    or
   	bunzip2 xcircuit-version.tar.bz2
   	

3. Untar the archive file with

   	tar xf xcircuit-version.tar
   	

4. The result of the above steps is a directory named xcircuit-version containing the source.

   	cd xcircuit-version
   	

5. Follow the GNU automake instructions, below. If automake fails, revert to the original imake style.

GNU Compile and Install (preferred)

  ./configure [options]
  make
  make install

GNU Configure Options

   ./configure --help

--prefix=PREFIX

Location to install xcircuit. Defaults to /usr/local/. The executable goes to /usr/local/bin/, man pages to /usr/local/man/man1/, and everything else to /usr/local/share/xcircuit-VERSION/. Defaults can be separated by explicitly declaring --exec-prefix=DIR, --mandir=DIR, and --libdir=DIR.

--disable-lgf

Save space by not compiling the compatibility with "analog" and "diglog" .lgf-format files.

--disable-schema

Don't compile the schematic capture system. This is a major feature of xcircuit, so disabling it is not recommended. However, you may do so if you anticipate having no need for circuit netlists.

--with-python=DIR

If the configure step cannot find a Python interpreter, it can be explicitly referenced. Requires the Python library (libpythonVERSION.a or libpythonVERSION.so) and the python include file Python.h. The Python option uses the Python language as an interpreter for xcircuit.

--with-xpm=DIR

If the configure step cannot find the XPM package, it can be explicitly referenced. The XPM package enables the toolbar and an icon when xcircuit is iconified.

--with-gs=DIR

If the configure step cannot find ghostscript, it can be explicitly referenced. The Ghostscript option allows any PostScript file to be rendered on the xcircuit background and saved with the xcircuit file.

--disable-double-buffer

This option is almost wholly deprecated due to the speed of modern processors. However, if you have problems with slow rendering, you might find it useful.

--disable-focus-fix

Don't attempt to work around broken window managers. Normally this option should not be tampered with, but odd behavior regarding capture of key events in the xcircuit window may require it.

M4=path-to-GNU-m4 ./configure [options]

Imake Compile and Install (if GNU make fails)

  xmkmf
  make
  make install
  make install.man

Imake Options

1. All compile-time features are set from within Imakefile. Be sure to reference Imakefile first if you have difficulties compiling.
2. Decide where you want xcircuit and its library files to reside, and set XCIRCUIT_LIB_DIR, XCIRCUIT_MAN_DIR, and XCIRCUIT_BIN_DIR accordingly. The default path is "/usr/local/lib/xcircuit-2.2/".
3. It should not be necessary to change CC, CCOPTIONS, or CDEBUGFLAGS for Linux systems, unless you encounter problems during compiling.
4. DEC Alpha systems: Add "-taso" to CCOPTIONS to get the compiler to make necessary changes to deal with 64-bit addressing. It may also be necessary to add the "-D" flag.
5. The XCircuit Imakefile defaults to defining "HAVE_PYTHON". However, this assumes several things: That Python 2.1 is installed on the system, that it is installed in /usr/local/, and that the Python include files have been installed. This is all true for a standard installation from Python source, but not necessarily for a pre-installed Python. If you don't want to use the Python interpreter, you can undefine HAVE_PYTHON in the Imakefile. If you have Python, but it's a different version or installed in a different place, make appropriate changes to the definitions

   
           PYTHON_VERSION=2.1
           PYTHON_LIB_DIR=/usr/local/lib
           PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/local/include/python${PYTHON_VERSION}
      

   in the Imakefile. PYTHON_LIB_DIR is the directory where the library file "libpython2.1.a" (or equivalent, depending on the version) has been installed. PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR is the directory containing all of Python's .h files, but must at least contain "Python.h".

   The Python library preferably should be built as a shared (.so) library. See the section "Shared Python Library" below.

6. Anyone using xcircuit for drawing purposes only (no schematic capture wanted) may undefine SCHEMA in the Imakefile. If you're not sure, leave it alone.
7. By default, the Imakefile assumes that your system has xpm (pixmaps); if you don't, or you get error messages about no include file "xpm.h" found, then delete the line "#define HAVE_XPM" from the Imakefile and recompile. The only thing you will be missing is the color icon.

The makefile should also automatically install the man page in (depending on the Imake configuration) /usr/local/man/man1/xcircuit.1x.

If the program is extremely slow in rendering the screen or if the system tends to swap during program execution, you may need to undefine DO_BUFFER in the Imakefile. Clean, no-flicker rendering is made possible by drawing on a Pixmap and then doing a quick copy from the Pixmap to the screen. Depending on the default screen depth (usually 8 or 16 bits) and the window size, the Pixmap can take a MB of memory or more. Systems with too little memory or systems without a video card with Bit-BLT (block transfers) can erase all the gains of graphics buffering. Xcircuit will operate fine without buffering, but the screen will flicker every time there is a refresh; consequently, without buffering the system is designed not to refresh as often, and there will be more "pixel trash" on the screen. It is expected that under these conditions the user will simply use the space bar to refresh the screen as needed.

Embedded Python Interpreter

XCircuit compile, if using Python, requires Python source, not the executable. If you need/want to install or update Python on your system, be sure to download the source, not, for instance, an RPM package with executable only.

Obtaining Python

Shared Python Library

1. In the Makefile: set

   
           LDLIBRARY=libpython2.1.so
   	

2. Also in the Makefile: Add a case for libpython$(VERSION).so which looks exactly like the case statement for unixware:

   
           linux) \
              $(LDSHARED) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) \
              ;; \
   	

3. Make until error ("can't find libpython2.1.so")
4. Copy or move libpython2.1.so to /usr/local/lib or /usr/lib
5. Run (as root!)

   
   	ldconfig -v -n /usr/local/lib
   	

   (or use the directory where you just put the shared library) and confirm that it found libpython2.1.so.
6. Finish

   
   	make
   	

   (should run to normal completion).

Back to the xcircuit home page. . .

email: tim@bach.ece.jhu.edu