I am trying to install svgalib (via netpbm) on my Gentoo linode and I am getting the following error:

localhost root # emerge netpbm
Calculating dependencies ...done!
>>> emerge (1 of 2) media-libs/svgalib-1.9.19-r3 to /
>>> md5 src_uri ;-) svgalib-1.9.19.tar.gz

!!! ERROR: media-libs/svgalib-1.9.19-r3 failed.
!!! Function kernel-mod_configoption_builtin, Line 114, Exitcode 1
!!! kernel has not been configured yet
!!! If you need support, post the topmost build error, NOT this status message.

My understanding is that on a linode I cannot 'configure my kernel'.

Does anyone know a way around this ?

Thanks in advance,
Graham.

You're not going to be able to configure the kernel here, and svgalib would be useless anyway, since you're not at the machine.

Try removing "svga" from the USE line in /etc/make.conf before emerging netpbm.

I didn't have 'svga' but I added '-svga' to my USE flags and netpbm is building happily now.

Thanks a lot !

Graham.

The distro wizard can't install a kernel .config file, because it has no way of knowing which kernel will be running. However, some ebuilds expect to read from this file. You can get the .config for your kernel from the Linode.com Announcements section of these boards (latest 2.4 here, latest 2.6 here at the time of writing) and copy it into /usr/src/linux/.config.

_________________
/ Peter

Aha. I found 'svga' in my /etc/make.profile/make.defaults, which explains my needing the -svga in make.conf.

Also thanks for the kernel conf tip - I have now created my .config.

Graham.