How to Install Multilib

Original Source

In this guide we will discuss how to install multilib support for 32bit apps on a 64bit Salix. It is based on a ‘full’ version of Salix. The source guide is more in-depth, this guide is only the minimal steps required for Salix. If you are using a more recent Salix version, adjust ‘15.0’ accordingly.

Obtain/Install multilib Packages

The multilib-enabled packages and scripts are available for download from AlienBob’s multilib repository

All the required packages can be downloaded into your home>download with the following command:

cd ~/Download/
wget -r -l1 --no-parent http://connie.slackware.com/~alien/multilib/15.0/

To install the packages, we will run the terminal within the ‘15.0’ directory downloaded above, then install:

cd ~/Download/connie.slackware.com/~alien/multilib/15.0/
su
upgradepkg --reinstall --install-new *.t?z

Obtain/Install 32-Bit Slackware Package Tree

The instructions on the source page require you to setup a package tree and then convert the packages to suit.

Alternatively, the essential and already converted packages can be downloaded and installed with the following commands:

cd ~/Download/
wget -r --no-parent http://connie.slackware.com/~alien/multilib/15.0/slackware64-compat32/
cd ~/Download/connie.slackware.com/~alien/multilib/15.0/slackware64-compat32/
su
installpkg *-compat32/*.t?z

Using 32-Bit Software

Pre-compiled software can be installed and run as-is. If the software you are running requires a library that is not available, follow these instructions to install it.

If you are installing software from souce, first you must run the following command to configure the terminal to use the 32-bit packages (The effect will last until you logout from your shell!):

. /etc/profile.d/32dev.sh

If you are installing software from a SlackBuild or similar, please consider these additional instructions.

Alternatively…

A script to do it all for you may be found in the forums

Finally

Whichever method you use, you need to add gcc* and glibc* to the excludes in /etc/slapt-get/slapt-getrc, whether directly or through the GSlapt interface; otherwise when you do a package upgrade, the new multilib packages will be downgraded to their original, standard versions in the repositories.