Cross-Compiled Linux From Scratch - Version 2.1.0-Sparc64-Pure64

Chapter 10. Installing Basic System Software

10.29. Flex-2.5.37

The Flex package contains a utility for generating programs that recognize patterns in text.

10.29.1. Installation of Flex

Prepare Flex for compilation: 

./configure --prefix=/usr

Compile the package: 

make

To test the results, issue: make check.

Install the package: 

make install

There are some packages that expect to find the lex library in /usr/lib. Create a symlink to account for this: 

ln -sv libfl.a /usr/lib/libl.a

A few programs do not know about flex yet and try to run its predecessor, lex. To support those programs, create a wrapper script named lex that calls flex in lex emulation mode: 

cat > /usr/bin/lex << "EOF"
#!/bin/sh
# Begin /usr/bin/lex

exec /usr/bin/flex -l "$@"

# End /usr/bin/lex
EOF
chmod -v 755 /usr/bin/lex

10.29.2. Contents of Flex

Installed programs: flex and lex
Installed libraries: libfl.a and libfl_pic.a

Short Descriptions

flex

A tool for generating programs that recognize patterns in text; it allows for the versatility to specify the rules for pattern-finding, eradicating the need to develop a specialized program

flex++

Link to flex which makes it generate C++ scanner classes

lex

A script that runs flex in lex emulation mode

libfl.a

The flex library

libfl_pic.a

The flex library