Gnome Pre-Installation Configuration

If you're using the Bash Startup Files then run the commands below. Otherwise make sure that the values you want are properly set.

Installation Strategies

If you're committed to Gnome as your desktop, you will likely install it in the /usr hierarchy. If less committed, or you prefer to install Gnome in an easy to remove location, the /opt hierarchy may be more suitable.

Installing Gnome into /usr

Create and addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh

export GNOME_PREFIX=/usr

export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/gnome/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Installing Gnome into /opt

Create a link from gnome-2.6.16 to gnome to make upgrades and changes in the future easier:

install -dv -m755 /opt/gnome-2.6.16 &&
ln -sf gnome-2.6.16 /opt/gnome

Even though the env variables are refering to /opt/gnome, GNOME_PREFIX should still be set to /opt/gnome-2.6.16 as that's where Gnome is going to be installed to.

Gnome heavily relies on DBUS. GNOME Virtual File System and Control Center (These are not all of the packages that do) both install a dbus service file that will end up outside of where DBUS will look for the services. Use the following sed to make DBUS look in /opt/gnome.

sed -i "/<servicedir>\/usr\/share/a\  <servicedir>/opt/gnome/share/dbus-1/services</servicedir>" /etc/dbus-1/session.conf

Non-Multilib

Create an addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh

export GNOME_PREFIX=/opt/gnome-2.6.16

export PATH="${PATH}:/opt/gnome/bin"

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH+:}/opt/gnome/lib/pkgconfig"

export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${XDG_DATA_DIRS}${XDG_DATA_DIRS+:}/opt/gnome/share"
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/gnome/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Add a new entry to /etc/ld.so.conf for the libraries that Gnome is going to install:

cat >> /etc/ld.so.conf << "EOF"
# Begin Gnome addition to /etc/ld.so.conf

/opt/gnome/lib

# End Gnome addition
EOF

Multilib

Create an addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh

export GNOME_PREFIX=/opt/gnome-2.6.16

export PATH="${PATH}:/opt/gnome/bin"

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH32="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH32}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH32+:}/opt/gnome/lib/pkgconfig"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32="${PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32}${PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32+:}/opt/gnome/lib32/pkgconfig"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH64="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH64}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH64+:}/opt/gnome/lib64/pkgconfig"

export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${XDG_DATA_DIRS}${XDG_DATA_DIRS+:}/opt/gnome/share"
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/gnome/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-gnome.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Add a new entry to /etc/ld.so.conf for the libraries that Gnome is going to install:

cat >> /etc/ld.so.conf << "EOF"
# Begin Gnome addition to /etc/ld.so.conf

/opt/gnome/lib
/opt/gnome/lib32
/opt/gnome/lib64

# End Gnome addition
EOF