Inkscape - Vector Graphics on Linux

Inkscape is an open source drawing tool with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, and CorelDraw that uses the W3C standard scalable vector graphics format (SVG). Some supported SVG features include basic shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, and grouping. In addition, Inkscape supports Creative Commons meta-data, node-editing, layers, complex path operations, text-on-path, and SVG XML editing. It also imports several formats like EPS, Postscript, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF and exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats.

Below are my notes on the installation of inkscape-0.42-0 in FC3:

1. Create a fedora-extras repository for yum if you do not already have it setup.
   

   # cat <<EOF >/etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-extras.repo
   [extras]
   name=Fedora Extras - $releasever - $basearch
   baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/$releasever/$basearch/
   gpgcheck=1
   gpgkey=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/RPM-GPG-KEY-Fedora-Extras
   EOF
   

2. Import the fedora extras gpg key:

   # rpm --import http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/RPM-GPG-KEY-Fedora-Extras
   

3. Creat a dags' repository for yum if you do not already have it setup.

   # cat <<EOF >/etc/yum.repos.d/dag.repo
   [dag] 
   name=Dag RPM Repository for Fedora Core
   baseurl=http://apt.sw.be/fedora/$releasever/en/$basearch/dag
   gpgcheck=1
   enabled=1
   EOF
   

4. Import dags' gpg key:

   # rpm --import http://dag.wieers.com/packages/RPM-GPG-KEY.dag.txt
   

5. Install all the required rpms:

   # yum install gc gc-devel glibmm24 glibmm24-devel gtkmm24 gtkmm24-devel libxml2 \
                 libxml2-devel libxslt libxslt-devel perl-GD perl-SVG-GD perl-SVG \
                 libpng libpng-devel
   

6. Set up the RPM build environment if you do not have one already.
7. Download the inkscape Source RPM and rebuild it for your architecture:
   

   # rpmbuild --rebuild --define '_unpackaged_files_terminate_build 0' /path/to/SRPMS/inkscape-version-release.src.rpm
   

8. Install the rebuilt rpm.

   # rpm -Uvh /path/to/RPMS/$ARCH/inkscape*.rpm