[//000000001]: # (critcl\_howto\_install \- C Runtime In Tcl \(CriTcl\)) [//000000002]: # (Generated from file 'critcl\_howto\_install\.man' by tcllib/doctools with format 'markdown') [//000000003]: # (Copyright © Jean\-Claude Wippler) [//000000004]: # (Copyright © Steve Landers) [//000000005]: # (Copyright © 2011\-2024 Andreas Kupries) [//000000006]: # (critcl\_howto\_install\(n\) 3\.3\.1 doc "C Runtime In Tcl \(CriTcl\)")
[ Table Of Contents | Keyword Index ]
# NAME critcl\_howto\_install \- How To Install CriTcl # Table Of Contents - [Table Of Contents](#toc) - [Description](#section1) - [Install The Requisites](#section2) - [Install A Working C Compiler](#subsection1) - [Install A Working Tcl Shell](#subsection2) - [Install Supporting Tcl Packages](#subsection3) - [Install The CriTcl Packages](#section3) - [Install On Unix](#subsection4) - [Install On Windows](#subsection5) - [Test The Installation](#section4) - [Authors](#section5) - [Bugs, Ideas, Feedback](#section6) - [Keywords](#keywords) - [Category](#category) - [Copyright](#copyright) # DESCRIPTION Be welcome to the *C Runtime In Tcl* \(short: *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\), a system for embedding and using C code from within [Tcl](http://core\.tcl\-lang\.org/tcl) scripts\. *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* is installed in four major steps: 1. [Install The Requisites](#section2) 1. Follow the instructions on *[How To Get The CriTcl Sources](critcl\_howto\_sources\.md)* 1. [Install The CriTcl Packages](#section3) 1. [Test The Installation](#section4) It is now possible to follow the instructions on *[How To Use CriTcl](critcl\_howto\_use\.md)*\. # Install The Requisites This major step breaks down into three minor steps: 1. [Install A Working C Compiler](#subsection1) and development environment\. 1. [Install A Working Tcl Shell](#subsection2) 1. [Install Supporting Tcl Packages](#subsection3) ## Install A Working C Compiler While *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* requires a working C compiler to both install itself, and to process *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\-based packages installing such is very much out of scope for this document\. Please follow the instructions for the platform and system *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* is to be installed on\. The important pieces of information are this: 1. The path to the directory containing the C compiler binary has to be listed in the environment variable __PATH__, for *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* to find it\. 1. On Windows\(tm\) the environment variable __LIB__ has to be present and contain the paths of the directories holding Microsoft's libraries\. The standard *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* configuration for this platform searches these paths to fine\-tune its settings based on available libraries and compiler version\. Links of interest: - [http://www\.tldp\.org/HOWTO/HOWTO\-INDEX/programming\.html](http://www\.tldp\.org/HOWTO/HOWTO\-INDEX/programming\.html) ## Install A Working Tcl Shell That a working installation of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* will require a working installation of [Tcl](http://core\.tcl\-lang\.org/tcl) should be obvious\. Installing Tcl however is out of scope here, same as for installing a working C compiler\. There are too many options, starting from [building it from scratch](http://core\.tcl\-lang\.org/tcl), installing what is provided by the platform's package manager \([zypper](https://en\.opensuse\.org/Portal:Zypper), [yum](https://access\.redhat\.com/solutions/9934), [apt\-get](https://help\.ubuntu\.com/community/AptGet/Howto), and more\), to using some vendor's [distribution](https://core\.tcl\-lang\.org/dist\.html)\. A single piece of advice however\. While *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* currently supports running on Tcl 8\.4 and higher, and the creation of packages for the same, the last release for this version was in 2013 \(9 years ago at the time of writing\)\. Similarly, the last release for Tcl 8\.5 was in 2016 \(6 years ago\)\. Both are official end of life\. Given this I recommend to install and use Tcl 8\.6\. ## Install Supporting Tcl Packages The implementation of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* uses and depends on 1. __cmdline__ Depending on how Tcl was installed this package may be available already without action, or not\. Invoke the command echo 'puts [package require cmdline]' | tclsh to check if the package is present or not\. If it is present then its version number will be printed, else the error message __can't find package cmdline__ or similar\. If it is not present install the package as per the instructions for the chosen Tcl installation\. *Note*, the package __cmdline__ may not exist as its own installable package\. In such a case check if the chosen Tcl installation provides a __tcllib__ package and install that\. This should install all the packages in the Tcllib bundle, including __cmdline__\. As a last fallback, go to [Tclib](http://core\.tcl\-lang\.org/tcllib) and follow the instructions to install the bundle from scratch\. # Install The CriTcl Packages Note that this step has different instructions dependent on the platform *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* is to be installed on\. In other words, only one of the sub sections applies, the other can be ignored\. ## Install On Unix This section offers instructions for installing *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* on various kinds of Unix and Unix\-related systems, i\.e\. *Linux*, the various *BSD*s, etc\. It especially covers *Mac OS X* as well\. Use the instructions in section [Install On Windows](#subsection5) when installing on a Windows platform and not using a unix\-like environment as provided by tools like [MinGW](https://www\.mingw\-w64\.org), [CygWin](https://www\.cygwin\.com/), [Git For Windows](https://gitforwindows\.org), [WSL](https://docs\.microsoft\.com/en\-us/windows/wsl/faq), etc\. 1. Change the working directory to the top level directory of the *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* checkout obtained by following the instructions of *[How To Get The CriTcl Sources](critcl\_howto\_sources\.md)*\. 1. Verify that the file "build\.tcl" is marked executable\. Make it executable if it is not\. 1. Invoke ./build.tcl install to perform the installation\. *Attention* This command uses default locations for the placement of the __[critcl](critcl\.md)__ application, the various packages, and header files\. 1. Invoke ./build.tcl dirs to see the chosens paths before actually performing the installation\. 1. Use the options listed below to change the paths used for installation as desired\. This is the same method as with __configure__ based packages\. - __\-\-prefix__ *path* Base path for non\-package files\. - __\-\-include\-dir__ *path* Destination path for header files\. - __\-\-exec\-prefix__ *path* Base path for applications and packages\. - __\-\-bin\-dir__ *path* Destination path for applications\. - __\-\-lib\-dir__ *path* Destination path for packages\. These options are especially necessary in all environments not using the semi\-standard "bin", "lib", "include" locations from __configure__\. As an example of such environments, Ubuntu \(and possibly Debian\) expect Tcl packages to be installed into the "/usr/share/tcltk" directory, therefore requiring the use of --lib-dir /usr/share/tcltk for proper installation\. *Note* that this guide neither covers the details of the __install__ method, nor does it cover any of the other methods available through the __build\.tcl__ tool of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\. These can be found in the *[CriTcl build\.tcl Tool Reference](critcl\_build\.md)*\. ## Install On Windows This section offers instructions for installing *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* on a Windows \(tm\) host\. *Note* that environments as provided by tools like [MinGW](https://www\.mingw\-w64\.org), [CygWin](https://www\.cygwin\.com/), [Git For Windows](https://gitforwindows\.org), [WSL](https://docs\.microsoft\.com/en\-us/windows/wsl/faq), etc\. are classed as Unix\-like, and the instructions in section [Install On Unix](#subsection4) apply\. 1. In a DOS box, change the working directory to the top level directory of the *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* checkout obtained by following the instructions of *[How To Get The CriTcl Sources](critcl\_howto\_sources\.md)*\. 1. In the same DOS box, invoke tclsh.exe ./build.tcl install to perform the installation\. *Attention* This command uses default locations for the placement of the __[critcl](critcl\.md)__ application, the various packages, and header files\. 1. Invoke tclsh.exe ./build.tcl dirs to see the chosens paths before actually performing the installation\. 1. Use the options listed below to change the paths used for installation as desired\. This is the same method as with __configure__ based packages\. - __\-\-prefix__ *path* Base path for non\-package files\. - __\-\-include\-dir__ *path* Destination path for header files\. - __\-\-exec\-prefix__ *path* Base path for applications and packages\. - __\-\-bin\-dir__ *path* Destination path for applications\. - __\-\-lib\-dir__ *path* Destination path for packages\. *Attention\!* The current installer does not put an extension on the __[critcl](critcl\.md)__ application\. This forces users to either explicitly choose the __tclsh__ to run the application, or manually rename the installed file to "critcl\.tcl"\. The latter assumes that an association for "\.tcl" is available, to either __tclsh__, or __wish__\. *Note* that this guide neither covers the details of the __install__ method, nor does it cover any of the other methods available through the __build\.tcl__ tool of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\. These can be found in the *[CriTcl build\.tcl Tool Reference](critcl\_build\.md)*\. # Test The Installation Installing *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* contains an implicit test of its functionality\. One of its operation modes uses the MD5 hash internally to generate unique ids for sources, as a means of detecting changes\. To make generation of such hashes fast a *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\-based package for MD5 is installed as part of the main installation process\. In other words, after installing the core packages of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* this partial installation is used to build the rest\. This is possible because building a package from *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)*\-based sources is the operation mode not using MD5, therefore there is no circular dependency\. For our purposes this however is also a self\-test of the system, verifying that the core of *[CriTcl](critcl\.md)* works, as well as the C compiler\. For additional testing simply move on to section __The First Package__ of the guide on *[How To Use CriTcl](critcl\_howto\_use\.md)*\. # Authors Jean Claude Wippler, Steve Landers, Andreas Kupries # Bugs, Ideas, Feedback This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems\. Please report them at [https://github\.com/andreas\-kupries/critcl/issues](https://github\.com/andreas\-kupries/critcl/issues)\. Ideas for enhancements you may have for either package, application, and/or the documentation are also very welcome and should be reported at [https://github\.com/andreas\-kupries/critcl/issues](https://github\.com/andreas\-kupries/critcl/issues) as well\. # KEYWORDS [C code](\.\./index\.md\#c\_code), [Embedded C Code](\.\./index\.md\#embedded\_c\_code), [calling C code from Tcl](\.\./index\.md\#calling\_c\_code\_from\_tcl), [code generator](\.\./index\.md\#code\_generator), [compile & run](\.\./index\.md\#compile\_run), [compiler](\.\./index\.md\#compiler), [dynamic code generation](\.\./index\.md\#dynamic\_code\_generation), [dynamic compilation](\.\./index\.md\#dynamic\_compilation), [generate package](\.\./index\.md\#generate\_package), [linker](\.\./index\.md\#linker), [on demand compilation](\.\./index\.md\#on\_demand\_compilation), [on\-the\-fly compilation](\.\./index\.md\#on\_the\_fly\_compilation) # CATEGORY Glueing/Embedded C code # COPYRIGHT Copyright © Jean\-Claude Wippler Copyright © Steve Landers Copyright © 2011\-2024 Andreas Kupries