Doc:2.4/Manual/Introduction/Installing Blender/Linux

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GNU/Linux

Binaries for the GNU/Linux operating systems are provided in .tar.bz2 format for 32- and 64-bit processors, and for Python 2.5 or 2.6. Deb files are also available for Debian-based systems (i.e. Ubuntu…). The choice of processor depends on the machine you’ll be running Blender on. Running the commands uname -a or cat /proc/cpuinfo at a shell prompt will give you hints as to which you need. The choice of Python versions depends likewise on what version of Python you’re running. Running python --version at a shell prompt will show you this information.

Note: many recent distributions have Blender available for download through their software repositories, making Blender installation as easy as (and work the same way as) installing any other software. You may want to check there first, although, these instructions will still work if you prefer a manual install (you are advised not to do so…).

Installation

Download the file blender-2.##-linux-glibc###-py##-ARCH.tar.bz2 from the “Downloads” section of the Blender Website. Here 2.## is the Blender version, glibc### is the glibc version installed on your computer (where glibc236 represents glibc-2.3.6), py## is the Python version, and ARCH is the machine architecture – either i386 (32-bit) or x86_64 (64-bit). Pick the one matching your system.

Unpack the archive (with tar -xjf /path/to/blender-2.##-linux-glibc###-py##-ARCH.tar.bz2) to a location of your choice. This will create a directory named blender-2.##-linux-glibc###-py##-ARCH, in which you will find the blender binary. If you like, you can rename the resulting directory to something shorter, e.g. just blender. By convention, most linux systems save user-downloaded binary packages to the /usr/local/bin folder.

Or, download the Deb file, and double-click on it in the File Browser. This will open the Package Installer, which will have an Install Package button. Click this button to install Blender on your system.

To start Blender, open a shell and execute ./blender (or simply blender, if it’s in your path), of course while running X.

Blender is now installed and can be started on the command line by entering ./blender at a shell prompt from the newly-created directory. If you are using KDE or Gnome you can start Blender using your file manager of choice by navigating to the blender executable and double-clicking on it.

Window Manager Configuration

If you are using the Sawfish window manager, you might want to add a line like ("Blender" (system "blender &")) to your .sawfish/rc file.

How to add Blender’s icons in KDE

  1. Select the Menu Editor from the System sub-menu of the K menu. In openSUSE 11.3 with the KDE desktop, just right-click on the start button (officially the Kickoff Application Launcher), and select Menu Editor.
  2. Select the sub-menu labeled Graphics in the menu list.
  3. Click the New Item button. A dialog box will appear that prompts you to create a name. Create and type in a suitable name and click OK.
  4. You will be returned to the menu list, and the Graphics sub-menu will expand, with your new entry highlighted. In the right section, make sure the following fields are filled in: Name, Comment, Command, Type and Work Path.
    • The Name field should already be filled in, but you can change it here at any time.
    • Fill the Comment field. This is where you define the tag that appears when you roll over the icon.
    • Click the folder icon at the end of the Command field to browse to the Blender program icon. Select the program icon and click OK to return to the Menu Editor.
    • The Type should be Application.
    • The Work Path should be the same as the Command, with the program name left off. For example, if the Command field reads /home/user/blender-#.##-linux-glibc#.#.#-ARCH/blender, the Work Path would be /home/user/blender-#.##-linux-glibc#.#.#-ARCH/.
  5. Click Apply and close the Menu Editor.

To add a link to Blender on the KPanel, RMB Template-RMB.png click on a blank spot on the KPanel, then hover over Add. Click Button, then Graphics, and select Blender (or whatever you named the menu item in step three). Alternately, click on the Configure Panel sub-menu in the K menu, click Add » Button » Graphics, and then Blender.

To add a Desktop icon for Blender, open Konqueror (found on the Panel by default, or in the System sub-menu of the K menu), and navigate to the Blender program icon where you first unzipped it. Click and hold the program icon, and drag it from Konquerer to a blank spot on your Desktop. You will be prompted to Copy Here, Move Here or Link Here – select the last choice.

How to add Blender’s icons in GNOME

  • RMB Template-RMB.png click the Gnome Main Menu panel (depending on the chosen theme the Icon for the Gnome Main Menu panel could be displayed differently).
Location of Gnome Main Menu panel.


Select Edit Menus from the menu of options that appears…
Right clicked panel menu options.


…Or LMB Template-LMB.png click on the Gnome Main Menu panel and navigate to System » Preferences » Look and Feel » Main Menu (your menu layout may be different, if so the next option may help).
Location of Main Menu editor.


  • Yet another method for accessing the Gnome Main Menu editor is to open a Terminal/Console/xterm window…
Location of Gnome Terminal.


…And type the following:
alacarte ↵ Enter
An opened Gnome Terminal window.


  • After using one of the above methods (hopefully) the Main Menu editor is displayed.
The Main Menu editor (alacarte).


  • Select the Graphics sub-menu from the Main Menu dialog box (or which ever section you want the Blender icon to be contained in)…
The Main Menu editor (alacarte), with the left hand Graphics menu section selected.


…Then click the New Item button.
The Main Menu editor (alacarte), with the right hand New Item clicked.


  • In the Create Launcher dialog box, make sure the Type: drop down menu has Application selected.
The Create Launcher dialog box (alacarte).


  • In the Create Launcher dialog box also fill in the Name:, Comment: and Command: fields. Fill the Name: field with the program name, for example Blender. You can name this whatever you’d like, this is what appears in the menu, but does not affect the functionality of the program. Fill the Comment: field with a descriptive comment. This is what is shown on the tooltips popups. Fill the Command: field with the full path of the blender program executable/binary, for example, /home/user/blender-#.##-linux-glibc#.#.#-ARCH/blender.
  • Click the icon button to choose an icon (the icon button by default is to the top left within the Create Launcher dialog box and looks like a platform attached to a spring – depending on the chosen theme – or if no icon is selected by the theme, the words No Icon may be displayed).
The Icon selection/display box (alacarte).


When the mouse is positioned over the icon button it will highlight. There may or may not be an icon for Blender in your default location. If not, there should be one in Blender’s directory, e.g. use the /home/user/blender-#.##-linux-glibc#.#.#-ARCH/blender/icons/scalable/blender.svg scalable one…
  • Once you have found the icon you wish to use for Blender, select it in the Browse Icons dialog box and select the Ok button to confirm it.
Browser Dialog displaying available icons in specified location (alacarte).


  • Then click the Ok button in the Create Launcher Dialog box to create the new menu and icon item in the Main Menu editor dialog. Make sure the Show item is selected to the left of the newly created Blender entry.
  • Click the Close button to close the Main Menu editor.
  • Now you should have access to Blender from the Gnome Menu as well as an icon assigned.
  • To add a Panel icon for Blender, LMB Template-LMB.png click on the Gnome Main Menu panel and navigate to the Blender menu entry location in the menu, then RMB Template-RMB.png click the Blender menu entry and select Add this launcher to panel. Once that is done the Blender icon should appear on the panel.
Right click menu from Main Menu Blender Icon.


  • To add a Desktop icon for Blender, it is almost the same as adding a Panel icon, but instead of selecting Add this launcher to panel you select Add this launcher to desktop.

Blender 2.49b on Slackware 13.1 86_x64 Multilib

To install blender on Slackware 13.1 x64 do the following:

NOTE: This works well using: 

- Nvidia card: GeoForce GTX 460 (1024 Mb)
- Nvidia linux driver: 260.19.21

1) Check your python version using the following command: 

   python --version

It should return: 'Python 2.6.X'

2) Download from the following location blender: 

   http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/'

2a) Scroll down and look for the section called: 'Linux x86-64'

2b) Download the file: Blender 2.49b, Python 2.6 (16 MB) 

http://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.49b/blender-2.49b-linux-glibc236-py26-x86_64.tar.bz2


3) Extract the file: 

tar xvjf blender-2.49b-linux-glibc236-py26-x86_64.tar.bz2

3a) Move the extract directory to an appropriate location exa: /opt: 

mv blender-2.49b-linux-glibc236-py26-x86_64 /opt

3b) Go to /opt directory and change the group: 

chgrp -R users /opt/blender-2.49b-linux-glibc236-py26-x86_64

3c) Link to blender 

ln -s /opt/blender-2.49b-linux-glibc236-py26-x86_64 /opt/blender

4) Set the the path to all users by editing the profile file: 

vi /etc/profile


4a) Add the following lines at the end of the file: 

 PATH="$PATH:/opt/blender"
 export PATH
 
 if [ -x /usr/bin/python ]; then
   PYTHONPATH=/usr/lib64/python2.6
   PYTHONHOME=$PYTHONPATH
   export PYTHONPATH PYTHONHOME
 fi
 
 if [ -x /usr/bin/python ]; then
   PYTHONOPTIMIZE=true
   export PYTHONOPTIMIZE
 fi

You are set now, enjoy!!!




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