Can't build examples: Missing Makefile

[Murray Cumming]

Binary package hint: qtcreator

When starting Qt Creator, you may choose to open one of several example projects. If you do that, opening for instance, the Main Windows / Application example, the project does not build. Choosing the Build / Build Project "Application" menu item will cause a little progress bar to appear at the left-hand side, partly filled-in red. Click that little progress bar will reveal this build error:

Starting: /usr/bin/qmake-qt4 /usr/lib/qt4/examples/mainwindows/application/application.pro -spec /usr/share/qt4/mkspecs/linux-g++ -r CONFIG+=debug
Failure to open file: /usr/lib/qt4/examples/mainwindows/application/Makefile
Unable to generate makefile for: /usr/lib/qt4/examples/mainwindows/application/application.pro
Exited with code 5.
Error while building project application
When executing build step 'QMake

[Riviera Kid (z-launchpad-darrenwood-co-uk)]

This is because the /usr/lib tree is quite rightly write disabled for non-root users.

In my opinion, what should be happening is the examples should be in /usr/share/doc/qtcreator/examples/ and qtcreator should use them as templates and copy the relevant example to the users home directory for compilation. There's no sane reason for compiling in place like this - the examples should be known-good examples of the best practice way of doing things, if I use the examples as my work area I can easily break them and then I don't have a known-good source to refer back to.

[danimo (daniel-molkentin)]

This is fixed for the upcoming version of Qt Creator (1.3.0).

Creator will notice if an example or demo is r/o and offer you to copy it somewhere else.

[Nils S. (nils-schroeder)]

For all those, who want to get it fixed fast so they can start programming:

//Move the examples to your home or /usr/share/doc/qtcreator/ as Riviera Kid mentioned.
mv /usr/lib/qt4/examples $destination
//Adjust the permissions.
chmod -R 777 $destination/examples
//And set a Softlink
ln -s /usr/share/doc/qtcreator/examples $destination/examples