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LyX Flashback

This page describes how to build old versions of LyX on Debian/Linux as debian packages. These packages can be installed in parallel without conflict because the binaries are versioned and use different system and user directories. To launch LyX version x.y.z you simply invoke the binary named lyx-x.y.

1.  Required Debian packages no more available on distribution channels

Older version of LyX rely on Python2, Qt3/Qt4, and other software whose packages are no more available for installation through official channels. Here you will find those old packages (and packages they depend upon) adapted for installation on a recent Debian system (debian 12 bookworm, currently).

1.1  Qt3 and Qt4

You need Qt3 for building and running LyX 1.3 and LyX 1.4, and Qt4 for versions equal to or higher than 1.5, until LyX 2.2. More recent versions of LyX use either Qt5 or Qt6, which are available for installation on official channels.

Qt3

Download and install the following debian packages:

• libjpeg8
• libpng12
• libpng12b-dev
• libqt3-compat-headers
• libqt3-headers
• libqt3-mt
• libqt3-mt-dev
• qt3-dev-tools

Qt4

Download the tar archive libqt4-4.8.7.tar.xz and unpack it in /usr/local

cd /usr/local
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/qt4/libqt4-4.8.7.tar.xz
tar xvf libqt4-4.8.7.tar.xz

Also download and install the packages libtiff5 and libwebp6 that are required by Qt4 and thus also for running the versions of LyX (1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2) based on Qt4.

1.2  Python2

Download and install the following debian packages:

• libpython2.7-stdlib
• libpython2.7
• libpython2.7-minimal
• python2.7
• python2.7-dev
• python2.7-minimal

Recent versions of the package dh-python do not support python2 anymore, so we have to replace it with a fork that still does.

Download and build an older version of dh-python:

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/dh-python
cd /usr/local/src/dh-python
wget https://github.com/turnkeylinux/dh-python/archive/refs/tags/4.20201102+turnkey1.tar.gz
tar xvf 4.20201102+turnkey1.tar.gz
cd dh-python-4.20201102-turnkey1/
sed -i 's/dh-python2/dh-python/' debian/control
debuild -us -uc

Before installing the newly created dh-python_4.20201102_all.deb package you need to uninstall the official dh-python package, if you have already installed it. As the replace version has a lower version number, it will be automatically upgraded to the official version on the next update you perform.

You need to replace dh-python only for building LyX, not for running it.

1.3  GCC 4.9

While LyX 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2 can be built using recent compilers, building LyX 1.6 and 2.0.8.1 requires g++ 4.9. The following debian packages provide versioned binaries for GCC-4.9 that do not interfere with the current compiler.

• cpp-4.9
• g++-4.9
• gcc-4.9-base
• gcc-4.9
• libasan1
• libcilkrts5
• libcloog-isl4
• libgcc-4.9-dev
• libisl10
• libisl15
• libmpfr4
• libstdc++-4.9
• libubsan0

1.4  Hunspell

LyX versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 require hunspell 1.4. Hence, you have to download and install the following debian packages:

• libhunspell-1.4-0
• libhunspell14-dev

2.  LyX 1.3

Download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 1.3.7

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx13
cd /usr/local/src/lyx13
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx13/lyx13_1.3.7.orig.tar.gz
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx13/lyx13_1.3.7-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx13_1.3.7.orig.tar.gz
cd lyx-1.3.7/
tar xvf ../lyx13_1.3.7-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx13_1.3.7-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx13

3.  LyX 1.4

Download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 1.4.5

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx14
cd /usr/local/src/lyx14
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx14/lyx14_1.4.5.1.orig.tar.bz2
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx14/lyx14_1.4.5.1-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx14_1.4.5.1.orig.tar.bz2
cd lyx-1.4.5.1/
tar xvf ../lyx14_1.4.5.1-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx14_1.4.5.1-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx14

4.  LyX 1.5

Download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 1.5.7

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx15
cd /usr/local/src/lyx15
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx15/lyx15_1.5.7.orig.tar.bz2
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx15/lyx15_1.5.7-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx15_1.5.7.orig.tar.bz2
cd lyx-1.5.7/
tar xvf ../lyx15_1.5.7-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx15_1.5.7-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx15

5.  LyX 1.6

After installing gcc 4.9 (see above), download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 1.6.10

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx16
cd /usr/local/src/lyx16
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx16/lyx16_1.6.10.orig.tar.bz2
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx16/lyx16_1.6.10-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx16_1.6.10.orig.tar.bz2
cd lyx-1.6.10/
tar xvf ../lyx16_1.6.10-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx16_1.6.10-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx16

6.  LyX 2.0

After installing gcc 4.9 and hunspell 1.4 (see above), download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 2.0.8.1

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx20
cd /usr/local/src/lyx20
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx20/lyx20_2.0.8.1.orig.tar.xz
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx20/lyx20_2.0.8.1-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx20_2.0.8.1.orig.tar.xz
cd lyx-2.0.8.1/
tar xvf ../lyx20_2.0.8.1-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx20_2.0.8.1-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx20

7.  LyX 2.1

After installing hunspell 1.4 (see above), download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 2.1.5

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx21
cd /usr/local/src/lyx21
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx21/lyx21_2.1.5.orig.tar.xz
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx21/lyx21_2.1.5-1.1.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx21_2.1.5.orig.tar.xz
cd lyx-2.1.5/
tar xvf ../lyx21_2.1.5-1.1.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx21_2.1.5-1.1_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx21

8.  LyX 2.2

After installing hunspell 1.4 (see above), download the sources and create a deb package for LyX 2.2.4

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/lyx22
cd /usr/local/src/lyx22
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx22/lyx22_2.2.4.orig.tar.xz
wget https://wiki.lyx.org/uploads/Releases/lyx22/lyx22_2.2.4-1.0.debian.tar.xz
tar xvf lyx22_2.2.4.orig.tar.xz
cd lyx-2.2.4/
tar xvf ../lyx22_2.2.4-1.0.debian.tar.xz
debuild -us -uc

Now install the newly created package lyx22_2.2.4-1.0_amd64.deb.

Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-created deb package lyx22

9.  Contributors

• Enrico Forestieri

10.  History

• 4 June 2024 - Created.

Linux