0

I'm trying to compile vim8.2 on CentOS 8.4.

When executing ./configure --with-features=huge --enable-multibyte --enable-python3interp --enable-perlinterp --enable-luainterp --enable-cscope --enable-fail-if-missing --with-python3-command=/usr/bin/python3.8 --with-tlib=ncurses, it renders the error:

checking for linking with ncurses library... OK
checking for tgetent()... configure: error: NOT FOUND!
    You need to install a terminal library; for example ncurses.
    Or specify the name of the library with --with-tlib.

I've installed ncurses with its respective libraries, ncurses ncurses-devel ncurses-libs ncurses-compat-libs ncurses-c++-libs.

The question lies where to find the ncurses libraries, so that it can be pointed to --with-tlib. Thanks in advance.

El_Dorado
  • 575
  • 4
  • 13

1 Answers1

2

Vim's a termcap application, and uses only the low-level termcap functions from the ncurses libraries. CentOS packages that as two libraries (ncurses or ncursesw, and tinfo). That's been a configure-option of ncurses since 1998, and is used by packagers who want to minimize the size of installers, etc.

If it used pkg-config, vim's configure script would do the right thing with this output:

% pkg-config --libs ncurses
-lncurses -ltinfo

For "tlib", you'll need the "tinfo" library, e.g.,

--with-tlib=tinfo

However, on some systems, there can be additional problems. In any case, the actual problem is reported in the config.log file. On inspecting that, most developers find the solution obvious.

(This was asked previously without the answer providing insight).

Thomas Dickey
  • 51,086
  • 7
  • 70
  • 105