Am considering trying it, if can figure out how best to install it from the tar.gz
Useful comments appreciated, particularly from anyone with it working in openSUSE
BTW am not an Economist !
**[Minsky](http://sourceforge.net/projects/minsky/)**
**System dynamics program with additional features for economics**
Brought to you by: [hpcoder](http://sourceforge.net/users/hpcoder)
Minsky enables the simulation of models (particularly from economics) defined in terms of coupled ordinary differential equations. The models are defined using a drawing canvas (rather like VisSim), and a double entry bookkeeping system known as a Godley table. Features
You should unpack tha somewhere in a directory in normal user space as normal user (with that I mean: not root). You can do the unpacking on the CLI with tar of course. But using e.g. Dolphin in KDE will offer you to unpack on the spot by using Ark.
Then one of the unpacked feiles should have a name like README and that should contain instructions. Thes or documntation on their website should tell you enough. But it all depends on the builders of the tarball how good their documentation is.
When you have doubts or questions about waht the REAME tells you, come back here.
Important is that you should do most actions as normal user. Only the last install action may need root.
I do not know what the first part of your post tries to explain. Where the QUOTEDed info from?
I assume that the CODE info is a listing from the extracted tarball. I see no README or readme.txt or similar there. Thus there seems to be no documentation whatever how to install it. Thus when you can also not find any instructions on the web-site of the product, I am at a loss on how to install it (let alone on how to de-install it).
My personal conclusion: products that are delivered by their developers in such a sloppy manner should be distrusted.
But (as I see a Makefile there), it could be (mind the âcouldâ) that you could go to that directory
paulparker@linux-30s5:~/Minsky.1.D32> make configure
ls: cannot access /home/paulparker/usr/ecolab/include/ecolab.h: No such file or directory
Makefile:33: /usr/local/ecolab/include/Makefile: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: tclmain.d: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: minskyTCL.d: No such file or directory
**----deleted----**
Makefile:116: disablingOverlay.d: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: plotDlg.d: No such file or directory
make: *** No rule to make target `plotDlg.d'. Stop.
paulparker@linux-30s5:~/Minsky.1.D32>
Sorry my earlier reply not short and clear, doing make configure produced many errors, which edited to shorten as most reports similar for different files:
paulparker@linux-30s5:~/Minsky.1.D32> **make configure**
ls: cannot access /home/paulparker/usr/ecolab/include/ecolab.h: No such file or directory
Makefile:33: /usr/local/ecolab/include/Makefile: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: tclmain.d: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: minskyTCL.d: No such file or directory
**----deleted----**
Makefile:116: disablingOverlay.d: No such file or directory
Makefile:116: plotDlg.d: No such file or directory
make: *** No rule to make target `plotDlg.d'. Stop.
paulparker@linux-30s5:~/Minsky.1.D32>
To install, just copy the GUI subdirectory to whereever you want to install it: eg assuming /usr/local/minsky does not exist
cp -r Minsky.1.D32/GUI /usr/local/minsky
Then add /usr/local/minsky to your path. Alterantively, create a one line script file that launches /usr/local/minksy/minsky, and place that in /usr/local/bin, for example.
You can, of course, delete source files (.cc, .h), object files (.o) and dependency files (.d) from the directory where you installed it. Minsky pretty much needs everything else in the GUI directory, and the executable has to be located in that directory for the application to find its resources.
Your choice whether you install it system-wide in /usr/local, or just in a user directory (eg ~/usr). Either will work. That decision depends on what priveleges you have, whether you have multiple users of the system, how you back up your system etc.
But there ought to be an install target in the Makefile to simplify the above. Iâll raise a ticket to include one for the next version.
considering your and hpcoderâs reply, also that I am able to install as root (if not complicate things further).
Believe best IF can be placed so available for all users to try, whilst retain each users work within their home.
Also if updates and required components able to be installed using YaST/zypper.
One thing is for sure, YaST/zypper will never have anything to do with this. It is a completely local to the product way of building/installing. And even that seems to be badly documented (and broken).
First I want to say, that âmake configureâ is completely wrong.
It should be â./configureâ, but AFAICS Minsky doesnât include a configure script. So just running âmakeâ should be enough.
But in this case it wonât work as you have already noticed.
The problem starts with this line in the Makefile:
include $(ECOLAB_HOME)/include/Makefile
where $(ECOLAB_HOME) is set before that:
# root directory for ecolab include files and libraries
ifeq ($(shell ls $(HOME)/usr/ecolab/include/ecolab.h),$(HOME)/usr/ecolab/include/
ecolab.h)
ECOLAB_HOME=$(HOME)/usr/ecolab
else
ECOLAB_HOME=/usr/local/ecolab
endif
So apparently you would need to install something called âecolabâ either in /usr/local/ecolab or ~/usr/ecolab first.
Sorry, I was wrong in the configure phase. But as we see, the whole configure, while part of many âtarballâ builds, is not included in this one.
The main problem here is the lack of adequate documentation.
Why, oh why do people think that their product is ready for distribution when it runs on their own system. Without providing a proper building/installing/deinstalling prodcedure and documentation a product is next to useless for the outside world.
I allways wonder if it is save to use such a product. When we see the sloppy delivering of it, what else sloppy things are inside?
Admit was hoping it was just a simple blunder on my part, sadly not.
Provided feedback to Minsky :
Feedback received from a more technically competent person.
Concerns Minsky using current layout may be difficult to distribute and update using the YaST/zypper approaches for installation/update as used in Novell/openSUSE and similar systems.
Is Minsky being used, or experiencing similar difficulties, with other linux systems ?
Certainly appreciate work to date developing this system by hpcoder and others, with hope needed improvements achieved soon, as believe considerable use of it, to those interested in economics or interpretations economists can achieve from using it.
So have you tried to compile and install ecolab first?
But I do agree that Minskyâs documentation should be improved. (well, build instructions are non-existent really).
And I guess the build system could need an overhaul as well.
On 02/22/2014 04:56 AM, wolfi323 pecked at the keyboard and wrote:
> paulparker;2626419 Wrote:
>> Agree with hcvvâs view.
>>
>> Admit was hoping it was just a simple blunder on my part, sadly not.
>>
> So have you tried to compile and install ecolab first?
>
> But I do agree that Minskyâs documentation should be improved. (well,
> build instructions are non-existent really).
> And I guess the build system could need an overhaul as well.
>
>
Maybe someone needs to introduce the maintainer/author to the openSUSE
build service (OBS) and make his life easier. Iâm not a dev so I canât
help in this regard, just a thought.
Being a happy user, question is how to encourage those technically capable to help bring Minsky into openSUSE and SUSE so we NON-Technical can install and use it ?
Hi
Step 1 Ask the developer/packager to push to a development project (I would guess Science) and request to be maintainer.
Step 2 Maintainer is to announce the package on the development mailing list with details and a commitment to maintain for the required release lifetime.
Step 3 Once that is done and time for others to comment it can be submitted to factory and then will appear in Tumbleweed and Leap if pushed there.
