Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 6.3

Chapter 8. General Libraries

libusb-0.1.12

Introduction to libusb

The libusb package contains a library used by some applications for USB device access.

Package Information

libusb Dependencies

Optional

pkg-config-0.22

Optional (Required to Build the HTML User Manual)

OpenJade-1.3.2 and DocBOOK SGML DTD-4.2

Optional (Required to Build the API Documentation)

Doxygen-1.5.2 and Graphviz-2.12

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/libusb

Installation of libusb

Install libusb by running the following commands: 

./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-build-docs &&
make

If you wish to build the API documentation (see the required dependencies), issue the following command: 

make apidox

To test the results, issue make -k check.

Now, as the root user: 

make install

If you built the HTML user manual (by having the required dependencies installed and removing the --disable-build-docs parameter from the configure command), install it using the following commands as the root user: 

install -v -d -m755 /usr/share/doc/libusb-0.1.12/html &&
install -v -m644 doc/html/* /usr/share/doc/libusb-0.1.12/html

If you built the API documentation, install it using the following commands as the root user: 

install -v -d -m755 /usr/share/doc/libusb-0.1.12/apidocs &&
install -v -m644 apidocs/html/* \
    /usr/share/doc/libusb-0.1.12/apidocs

Command Explanations

--disable-build-docs: This switch avoids building the HTML user manual. Remove it if you have the required dependencies installed and wish to build the manual.

Configuring Libusb

To access raw USB devices (those not treated as a disk by the mass-storage driver), appropriate support must be available in the kernel. Check your kernel configuration for Device Drivers ⇒ USB support ⇒ Support for Host-side USB. Select any USB hardware device drivers you may need on the same page.

To have raw USB devices set up properly, add the following udev rule. 

cat > /etc/udev/rules.d/23-usb.rules << "EOF"
# Set group ownership for raw USB devices
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", GROUP="usb"
EOF

Add any users that need to access raw USB devices to the usb group. 

usermod -a -G usb <username>

Contents

Installed Program: libusb-config
Installed Libraries: libusb.{so,a} and libusbpp.{so,a}
Installed Directory: /usr/share/doc/libusb-0.1.12

Short Descriptions

libusb-config

is a script that provides the right compiler and linker flags for programs using libusb.

libusb.{so,a}

libraries contain C functions for accessing USB hardware.

Last updated on 2008-05-09 08:00:42 -0500