# Build System Installation

The build system exists in the /ribsome/build on Helixcommunity. This is the Python code only. It also requires a Python interpreter, and a compiler at minimum. Other tools are required, depending on the platform. There are three basic platform types: UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh described here. You may also want to read these step-by-step instructions for how to build the helix client.

### Windows Installation

The build system requirements on windows are:

- Microsoft Visual C++ 5 or 6 with latest service packs.
- Python 1.5.2 or later
- Python Win32 extensions (optional)
- cvs.exe >= 1.10.5
- rm.exe (from GNU tools / cygwin)
- The ribosome build system from CVS ( from /ribosome/build )

Microsoft Visual C++ 5 or 6 with latest service packs: Before you install the compiler, consider changing the installation path. By default, it installs to c:\Program Files\, and the spaces in the environment variables set by this cause problems. If you go with the default install location, you will need to make a few changes. First, do not register the environment variables at the end of the installation. You will need to use the vc\bin\vcvars32.bat script to setup your environment variables. Second, you will need to edit the vcvars32.bat script and change all the long path names to their 8.3 equivalents. This means Program Files becomes progra~1. If this doesn't make sense to you, the rules for path conversion are in the Windows documentation somewhere.

Create a batch script to set up your environment. You will have to use the CALL convention in you batch script to import the environment variables from the vcvars32.bat file. You will also want to set your CVSROOT, BUILD_ROOT, and PATH inside this script.

Example Script(dev.bat):

    set CVSROOT=:pserver:user@localhost:/cvs
    set BUILD_ROOT=c:\dev\build
    set PATH=%BUILD_ROOT%\bin;c:\cygwin\bin;c:\python21;c:\dev\bldtools\;%PATH%
    call c:\progra~1\devstudio\vc\bin\vcvars32.bat

In this setup, cvs.exe is in the c:\dev\bldtools directory. It also assumes that you have an ssh tunnel running your machine which forwards your cvs port (2401) to the approperiate remote cvs server (cvs.helixcommunity.org). Now create a new directory for you source code to go, and run build. You will get a menu. You can test your setup by building the target client_core.

### Macintosh Installation

These instructions are intended for MacOS X using a regular python compiled for UNIX. If you wish to use MacPython with MacOS X, go here. If you are using MacOS 8 or 9, go here.

Required tools:

- MetroWerks Codewarrior 8 with latest patches
- Python 2.2 compiled for Unix (Already installed if you use 10.2 or later)
- MacCVS Pro 2.7d3
- Stuffit Deluxe or DropStuff and Stuffit Expander (from StuffIt Lite)
- The ribosome build system from CVS ( from /ribosome/build )

Previous versions of the Mac build system has required a file called RMA Build Prefs to emulate environment variables. This is no longer the case and environment variables should now be added to your shell environment like any other Unix. An example of how to do this and which variables are needed is here. For additional information about what variables to use and how to write pcf files for MacOS X, see the MacPython build system instructions.

### UNIX Installation

UNIX systems are relatively easy to install. The only catch is getting the correct compiler. For any given UNIX configuration, look at the docstring in its Umake configuration in build/umakecf/*.cf. The docstring will contain the information on what compiler is used. Required tools:

- C/C++ Compiler
- GNU Make
- zlib
- Python 1.5.2 or later compiled with zlib support (modify modules/Setup.in)
- Motif 2/OpenMotif 2.1 (for building the client)
- The ribosome build system from CVS ( from /ribosome/build )