Linux From Scratch - Version 6.1

Chapter 6. Installing Basic System Software

6.21. Ncurses-5.4

The Ncurses package contains libraries for terminal-independent handling of character screens.

Approximate build time: 0.6 SBU
Required disk space: 18.6 MB
Installation depends on: Bash, Binutils, Coreutils, Diffutils, Gawk, GCC, Glibc, Grep, Make, and Sed

6.21.1. Installation of Ncurses

Prepare Ncurses for compilation: 

./configure --prefix=/usr --with-shared --without-debug

Compile the package: 

make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Install the package: 

make install

Give the Ncurses libraries execute permissions: 

chmod 755 /usr/lib/*.5.4

Fix a library that should not be executable: 

chmod 644 /usr/lib/libncurses++.a

Move the libraries to the /lib directory, where they are expected to reside: 

mv /usr/lib/libncurses.so.5* /lib

Because the libraries have been moved, a few symlinks point to non-existent files. Recreate those symlinks: 

ln -sf ../../lib/libncurses.so.5 /usr/lib/libncurses.so
ln -sf libncurses.so /usr/lib/libcurses.so

6.21.2. Contents of Ncurses

Installed programs: captoinfo (link to tic), clear, infocmp, infotocap (link to tic), reset (link to tset), tack, tic, toe, tput, and tset
Installed libraries: libcurses.[a,so] (link to libncurses.[a,so]), libform.[a,so], libmenu.[a,so], libncurses++.a, libncurses.[a,so], and libpanel.[a,so]

Short Descriptions

captoinfo

Converts a termcap description into a terminfo description

clear

Clears the screen, if possible

infocmp

Compares or prints out terminfo descriptions

infotocap

Converts a terminfo description into a termcap description

reset

Reinitializes a terminal to its default values

tack

The terminfo action checker; it is mainly used to test the accuracy of an entry in the terminfo database

tic

The terminfo entry-description compiler that translates a terminfo file from source format into the binary format needed for the ncurses library routines. A terminfo file contains information on the capabilities of a certain terminal

toe

Lists all available terminal types, giving the primary name and description for each

tput

Makes the values of terminal-dependent capabilities available to the shell; it can also be used to reset or initialize a terminal or report its long name

tset

Can be used to initialize terminals

libcurses

A link to libncurses

libncurses

Contains functions to display text in many complex ways on a terminal screen; a good example of the use of these functions is the menu displayed during the kernel's make menuconfig

libform

Contains functions to implement forms

libmenu

Contains functions to implement menus

libpanel

Contains functions to implement panels