Compiling Playfair under XP?

April 4, 2004 5:09 PM

Okay, I found Playfair linked here, and downloaded the gzipped src & installer code, but I'm very lame, because I can't figure out how to compile it under XP. Anyone have the time/inclination to walk an utter command line noob through the steps?
posted by jonson to Computers & Internet (16 answers total)

1. go to cygwin and click on the "install" icon and install
2. open a cygwin window and go to the directory where the download is (using "cd")
3. type:
   • tar xvfz playfair-0.2.tar.gz
   • cd playfair-0.2
   • cat INSTALL
   • ./config
   • make

step 1 is necessary to get you a compiler (gcc) - you may need to modify environment variables (see the cygwin site). the above works for me on windows 2k (at least, it's compiling as i type this).
posted by andrew cooke at 6:52 PM on April 4, 2004

Response by poster: andrew, thank you so much! I'm trying right now, will let you know how it went.
posted by jonson at 7:52 PM on April 4, 2004

Response by poster: Okay, after I type the config command, the output log gets to configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH. Any ideas? If it helps, I skipped the first step, since I already un gzipped & un tarred the file using a GUI compression app.
posted by jonson at 8:00 PM on April 4, 2004

When you install Cygwin, it should give you options to install various bits of software with it. Make sure you tell it to install "gcc" (GNU C Compiler) and any other similar-themed options.
posted by Jimbob at 8:29 PM on April 4, 2004

Response by poster: Crap. Let me try reinstalling.
posted by jonson at 9:56 PM on April 4, 2004

Response by poster: man, do I feel dumb. Okay, so apparently I got through the ./config stage, which gave me about fifty or more lines of output on the screen, but when that process is done, the "make" command just reads "bash: make: command not found". Any thoughts? Alternatively to this, anyone who wants to just email me a compiled .exe would be equally beloved.
posted by jonson at 10:34 PM on April 4, 2004

[i was going to post more advice, but i remembered you were the jerk who listed me on your user page.]
posted by andrew cooke at 4:59 AM on April 5, 2004

Who says there's no Karma system on MeFi?
posted by signal at 6:46 AM on April 5, 2004

Response by poster: I did? What did I say about you?
posted by jonson at 7:23 AM on April 5, 2004

Response by poster: Oh wait, andrew cooke, you're the guy who would fatally poison his neighbor's dog. Yeah, I can live without your help, thanks!
posted by jonson at 7:24 AM on April 5, 2004

Make sure you tell your cygwin installer to install 'make' in addition to 'gcc'.
posted by mfbridges at 1:45 PM on April 5, 2004

Response by poster: Thanks, bridges!
posted by jonson at 2:01 PM on April 5, 2004

Comedy GOLD!
posted by squirrel at 5:20 PM on April 5, 2004

Who says there's no Karma system on MeFi?

Oh wait, andrew cooke, you're the guy who would fatally poison his neighbor's dog. Yeah, I can live without your help, thanks!

Karma indeed. Andrew is reminded why he doesn't like jonson, and suddenly I am remided what gave me doubts about Andrew (after liking him so well for so long.)

Maybe this whole line of logic never should have been started? Let, um, sleeping dogs lie.
posted by Shane at 5:43 PM on April 5, 2004

Ok... so for shits and giggles, I tried to compile it as well. ('Sides, I'd been looking for an excuse to install cygwin, which pretty much rules...) At any rate, I couldn't make it work. Did anyone else get it to compile on windows?
posted by ph00dz at 5:57 PM on April 5, 2004

Response by poster: Nope, even after all the kind help here. Then again, this may all be attributable to my lack of tech savviness, which is formidable.
posted by jonson at 8:31 PM on April 5, 2004