HOWTO" Compile and install Gimmie 0.2.0!

[stalefries]

Edit: WOW! I'm surprised how popular this has become. I want to thank everyone who has helped out while I was away.

Prologue
This is a guide to download, compile, and install the new version of Gimmie. You can read about Gimmie here, it's pretty cool.

Disclaimers
Note: there is no support for this guide (I'll try my best, but no promises), and the guide is to be used at your own risk.

I want to stress that Gimmie is very much in a beta state, so don't be surprised if it crashes once a day.

This guide has been tested on an Edgy 32-bit install, although it should work on any platform, since Gimmie written in python.

WARNING: I also want to stress that it is a bad idea to use .deb's made by someone else. Really, it's not hard to compile software. Also, checkinstall .deb's are not meant to be used to install applications. Checkinstall is solely intended to be useful when you want to uninstall gimmie. Again, please do not use someone else's .deb's (unless they are provided by Ubuntu, of course.)

Preparation
Before you start, hold up your right hand, and repeat after me:
I, (your name), do solemnly swear that upon completion of this HOWTO will submit any and all bugs I encounter to http://bugzilla.gnome.org, unless the bug already exists, at which point I will contribute any additional information possible.

First, download Gimmie.

wget http://www.beatniksoftware.com/gimmie/releases/gimmie-0.2.1.tar.gz

Note: There is a new version available, 0.2.6, but I haven't tested this procedure with it yet. Most likely, it should work fine.
Release notes:
- 0.2.6
- 0.2.5
- 0.2.4
- 0.2.3
To get the latest version instead, do:

wget http://www.beatniksoftware.com/gimmie/releases/gimmie-0.2.6.tar.gz

Then, install all the dependencies and tools needed. This wasn't done on a clean install, I'll update the dependencies if any are reported.

sudo aptitude install build-essential checkinstall libgnomecupsui1.0-dev  python-gnome2-dev python2.4-dev libgnomevfs2-dev libgnomevfs2-0 python-gnome2-desktop-dev 
libgnomecups1.0-dev

Now you need to check if you have a file in your home folder called ".gtk-bookmarks". Run the following command in you home folder

ls -a | grep .gtk-bookmarks

If it doesn't show .gtk-bookmarks, do the following:

touch ~/.gtk-bookmarks

Now, change to the directory where you downloaded Gimmie and unpack it, then go to the gimmie directory. I'm assuming you downloaded to the Desktop.

cd ~/Desktop
tar -zxvf gimmie-0.2.1.tar.gz
cd gimmie-0.2.1

Now, this is the fun part. Here we make sure we have everything necessary, compile the software (actually, I think it just moves stuff around, you don't really compile Python programs), and then install the files in the proper places.

./configure --prefix=/usr
make
sudo checkinstall

Hopefully you now have passed through without any errors.
Now, right-click your panel and click "Add to panel". Scroll down to the Utilities section and add Gimmie. Huzzah! You're done!

Tips
Here are some gconf settings that you may adjust. You can modify them using gconf-editor. They reside in /apps/gimmie/. I'm not sure how you create that folder if it doesn't exist for you. However, the folder will probably be empty. You can create the following keys and modify their values.

autohide (boolean): True will autohide the top bar (either the menu buttons, or the icons -- dependent on swapbar key), false will show always (default)
click_policy (string): Choose from the following options:
* single - single click in menus
* double - double click in menus
* nautilus - follow nautilus settings
clockapplet (boolean): True will show the clock as an applet. False will show the clock next to the computer text.
gmail_keyring_token (integer): Do not modify this! This is used to find your gmail details stored in your keyring.
swapbar (boolean): True will reverse the position of the two parts - the buttons and the icons. False is the default.
vertical (boolean): True will make the bar vertical and place it on the left side of your screen. False is the default. I do not know if there is a way to move it to the right side.

Extra tip: If you have a keyboard shortcut set for your Applications menu, and you remove it after getting Gimmie, you can still use that shortcut. The menu will pop up wherever your mouse is!

[Virtual DarKness]

Hi, thanks a lot for the guide! Works also with the 0.2.1 version

Just one thing: you can avoid the last step doing ./configure --prefix=/usr that should be good using checkinstall

bye,
Giovanni.

[Cheizzz]

I followed your instructions on installing gimmie, and thank your very much for that: it's installed!

However, it refuses to play. I can get gimmie on the gnome-panel but when i click one of the four buttons on it, it does nothing, only seemingly launching a window, as i can see in my taskbar. So, no gimmie for me

Can you help me out? I'd love to give some console output, but how do run an panel applet in the console? I tried $gimmie --run-in-window as i have seen somewhere in an ubuntu system panel forum, but no luck, same unlogical mumbojumbo as just running $gimmie.
If im wrong, and its not mumbojumbo, ask for my CLI output.

Oh, another thing: you should list "python2.4-dev" as a dependency

[stalefries]

Thanks, Virtual Darkness and Chiezzz. I'll add those fixes now.

[stalefries]

Cheizzz, that sounds odd, but I have no idea on how to fix it. I'd file a bug on bugzilla.gnome.org .

[Old Pink]

.deb file created for those who prefer not to install from source.

[Cheizzz]

Okay, more "buggy" news.
It seems my problems have somehow to do with my use of AIGLX + Compiz.
If I use attempt to use Gimmie when It's turned on I get the issue described above.
But when I turn Compiz off through Gandalfn's exquisite helper program, and then use Gimmie it actually works!

Could this information be helpfull?

[hind3nburg]

i can't get that debian to work. it's not listed as an available panel when i installed it.

[Lord Illidan]

The debian is made for feisty, so it might not work on Edgy, it did not work under mine..

Still, I downloaded and compiled the code as per your instructions, and man this is cool, better than USP or Slab even.

[stalefries]

Chiezzz, that's very helpful information. Please, go file a bug about it, including all the information you think could be useful. Architecture, ubuntu version, compiz/aiglx version, etc.