StarFab - Linux Compile Guide

Guide for compiling StarFab on Linux distos. Although not necassary, it is reccomended to use toolbox or podman container to avoid filling the host OS with hundred of dev packages.

(optional) Create a container for whichever distro you favour

# Arch
toolbox create --image quay.io/toolbx-images/archlinux-toolbox
toolbox enter archlinux-toolbox
sudo pacman -Syu

# Debian
toolbox create --image quay.io/toolbx-images/debian-toolbox:12
toolbox enter debian-toolbox-12
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Fedora
toolbox create --image fedoraproject.org/fedora-toolbox:38
toolbox enter fedora
sudo dnf -y update

1. Get distro specific packages for compiling StarFab

# Arch
sudo pacman -S  --needed nano base-devel poetry qt5-base openssl zlib xz tk nss libxcomposite libxrandr libxcursor libxi libxtst libxkbcommon alsa-lib libpulse

# Debian
sudo apt install -y build-essential python3-poetry qtbase5-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev curl libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev libasound2 libpulse-mainloop-glib0

# Fedora
sudo dnf -y groupinstall "Development Tools" "Development Libraries"
sudo dnf -y install poetry qt5-qtbase-devel libXcomposite libXdamage libXrandr libXcursor libXi libXtst alsa-lib pulseaudio-libs pulseaudio-libs-glib2
sudo dnf -y builddep python3

2. Install PyEnv for bash shell

more info

curl https://pyenv.run | bash
echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'command -v pyenv >/dev/null || export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources
echo 'eval "$(pyenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc
exec "$SHELL"

Install recommended python using pyenv

pyenv install 3.10.2
pyenv shell 3.10.2
pyenv local 3.10.2

3. Clone repositories

mkdir -p scmodding/{tools,frameworks}/
cd scmodding
git clone https://gitlab.com/scmodding/tools/starfab.git tools/starfab
git clone https://gitlab.com/scmodding/frameworks/scdatatools.git frameworks/scdatatools

4. Fix VTK dependancy bug (as of Aug, 2023 - Ver: 0.4.8)

more info

cd tools/starfab
rm poetry.lock

# use editor to remove [[tool.poetry.dependencies.vtk]] entries
nano pyproject.toml 

5. Setup python environment

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip wheel vtk

# make poetry recongnise selected pyenv python
poetry env use python

6. Build StarFab

poetry install
poetry run python -m pip install -e ../../frameworks/scdatatools

(optional) Qt wayland bug workaround on sway, hypr, and other wayland compositors

more info Can create also create problems, try only if Starfab is not rendering.

export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb

7. Run StarFab

*note: after splash screen UI can take sometime to appear

poetry run python -m starfab