This is a common question. This is what I did before I figured out how
to do it one of the common ways. While I use RH I installed POV before
it came with so I don't know how it is done. 

David wrote:
> 
> I just installed Red Hat Linux a few days ago, and noticed that it includes
> POV-Ray - long my Macintosh hobby. I installed it, and now I con't launch
> it. What's the trick to starting the thing? I've been using the KDE system,
> which calls the smaple files "executables" (!). Can anyone help this newbie?

Subject:             Re: Povray3.1 for Linux
       Date:             Thu, 19 Oct 2000 18:51:48 -0400
       From:             Matt Giwer <jul### [at] ijnet>
 Organization:             IASUTAAS Industries
 Newsgroups:             povray.unix
  References:             1

Rod wrote:
> 
> I'm a linux newbe that needs help. How do I install povray3.1 for linux
> ? I know next to nothing yet about linux, and am learning it, and I do
> not know how to execute scripts or edit them.

        I'm half a newbie. I force it to work this way. I am certain
there are
better ways but at least it works. 

        Depending how now, if you an unpack it, you can use it. That is 

        tar -xzf povray.whatever.gz 

        linux tip: if you type the first few letters and hit tab it will
try to
fill in the rest of the name. 

        That should create a directory named povray and under that
povray31
which will have the executables and most of what you expect to find in
the Windows directory. 

        Without risking anything, you can make it work by 

/home/your_account_name/povray/povray31/x-povray filename.ini 

        (note .ini not .pov)

        (Of course make a shell file, chmod +xxx filename that contains
the
above line, and invoke by ./filename )

        povray does not appear to recognize 

~/povray/povray31/x-povray filename.ini

	so use the full path. 

(If you know how to SU root, just do so and type ./install and forget
the path to x-povray. However it still appears to need the path to the
files.) 

        Instead of the windows #include "colors.inc" in the scene file. 

        You need to type

#include "/home/your_account_name/povray/povray31/include/colors.inc" 

        (That assumes you have not installed it. If you have
/usr/local/lib/povray31/include/colors.inc. There is a better trick
though with the +Lpath in the ini file.) 

        The ini file contains tells it everything on how to render the
file.
Height, Width, AA, Quality all that sort of thing that is a pulldown
menu in Windows. There is a povray.ini file that comes with to get you
started. I have not figured out how to get that to work without adding
+I and input file and +O output file. Again with the full path. 

        I know of no place where the ini file options are fully
documented but a very good start is in the html docs. I have found them
in bits and pieces in related sections. +P is an important one, to pause
at the end and leave the image on the screen. 

        As I say, I am certain there are better ways to do it but at
least that
makes it work. 

-- 
None of my opinions are humble. 
        -- The Iron Webmaster, 96

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