cmake_learning

This repository keeps track of everything I'm learning about CMake.

Goal

I want to learn how to create .PKG files which can be dragged-and-dropped onto a FreeWave Technologies' ZumLink window in Windows 10 File Explorer, or scp'ed to the /ptp directory on a ZumLink, and which will then be auto-executed or auto-installed by the ZumLink's OS.

Particulars

CMake is oriented towards C/C++ programs. My application will be exclusively Python3 and Bash scripts.

CPack is the CMake tool that creates installation files. CPack seems to be a "by the way, you can do this with CMake" sort of application, but for me, CPack is the focus. Naturally, I will learn CMake along the way because you can't have CPack without CMake.

How-to: Prequisites, Dependencies

Before you can start, you need to install some packages.

sudo apt install build-essentials g++ cmake

I think that's it.

How-to: Quick version

Basically, it goes like this. For a project called 'hello', you create this structure:

hello |-- CMakeLists.txt |-- License.txt |-- build -- src |-- hello.py -- helloConfig.h.in

Don't worry; I'll save these files in "first commit".

Then you execute the following commands:

cd build
rm -rf *
cmake ..
make package

CMake and CPack create an install package and put it in the 'build' directory.

How-to: Using dpkg

If you use the CMakeLists.txt file in the first few commits of this repo, then make package creates a .deb file. I think this is similar to a .pkg file.

To install the .deb file on a ZumLink, copy it to the /data directory and:

sudo dpkg -i package-name.deb

To list the contents of a .deb file:

sudo dpkg --contents package-name.deb

To remove the package after it's installed:

sudo dpkg -r package-name.deb # This keeps the config files
# or
sudo dpkg -p package-name.deb # This deletes the config files (p for "purge")

How-to: Using apt instead of dpkg

You can use apt instead of dpkg to install and remove the .deb file.

To install the .deb file on a ZumLink, copy it to the /data directory and:

sudo apt install -f package-name

Note the -f option, which specifies to install from the file rather than from an APT repository.

To list the contents of a .deb file:

sudo apt ................. # I don't know!

To remove the package after it's installed:

sudo apt remove package-name

Note that when removing a package, you specify just the package name, not the entire filename: hello, not hello_1.0_linux.deb.

How-to: Some details

1. If you change CMakeLists.txt, you have to rerun cmake.
2. But if you only edit the source files, you only have to rerun make package.
3. What if you add or delete a source file? I guess it depends on whether you have to edit CMakeLists.txt to account for adding or deleting the file.