From d597777d075be588c6888fe88bdce8c58b508f97 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Peter Harpending <peter@harpending.org>
Date: Sat, 2 May 2026 15:43:54 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] erl/zx

---
 Install-Erlang-and-zx.md | 89 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 85 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Install-Erlang-and-zx.md b/Install-Erlang-and-zx.md
index 80cb474..d847677 100644
--- a/Install-Erlang-and-zx.md
+++ b/Install-Erlang-and-zx.md
@@ -1,12 +1,93 @@
 # Installing Erlang and zx/zomp
 
-Last updated: September 23, 2025 (PRH).
+- Author: Peter Harpending `<peterharpending@qpq.swiss>`
+- Created: 2025-09-24
+- Modified: 2026-05-02
 
-## Linux
+# Installing with man pages
 
-### Ubuntu
+Assuming you go through the normal kerl-based installation procedure outlined
+below, and you want man pages to be installed so `man gen_server` Just Works™,
+**either**:
 
-Source: [*Building Erlang 26.2.5 on Ubuntu 24.04*](https://zxq9.com/archives/2905)
+- **before building**: set environment variable `KERL_BUILD_DOCS=yes`, and make
+  sure you have dependencies
+
+  ```
+  apt install xsltproc fop openjdk-25-jre
+  ```
+
+- **after building**: go to <https://erlang.org/downloads>, download the
+  manpages tarball, extract it `~/.erts/28.3/` (whatever install dir you
+  chose...)
+
+
+# Linux
+
+## Devuan 6 Excalibur
+
+1.  **Install necessary build tools**
+
+    ```bash
+    sudo apt update
+    sudo apt upgrade
+    sudo apt install \
+        gcc curl g++ dpkg-dev build-essential automake autoconf \
+        libncurses-dev libssl-dev flex xsltproc libwxgtk3.2-dev \
+        wget vim git fop openjdk-17-jre
+    ```
+
+2.  **Put [Kerl](https://github.com/kerl/kerl) somewhere
+    in your `$PATH`**. This is a tool to build Erlang releases.
+
+    ```bash
+    wget -O ~/bin/kerl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kerl/kerl/master/kerl
+    chmod u+x ~/bin/kerl
+    ```
+
+3.  **Build Erlang from source using Kerl (this takes a long time)**
+
+    Substitute `28.1` with whatever version of Erlang you're trying to build
+
+    ```bash
+    kerl update releases
+    ## use the most recent one that looks stable
+    ## you do need to type the number twice, that's not a typo
+    KERL_BUILD_DOCS=yes kerl build 28.1 28.1
+    kerl install 28.1 ~/.erts/28.1
+    ```
+
+4.  **Put Erlang in your `$PATH`**
+
+    Update `~/.bashrc` or `.zshrc` or whatever with the following line:
+
+    ```bash
+    . $HOME/.erts/28.1/activate
+    ```
+
+    Again substituting `28.1` with whichever version of Erlang you built
+
+
+5.  **Install zx**
+
+    ```bash
+    wget -q https://zxq9.com/projects/zomp/get_zx && bash get_zx
+    ```
+
+6.  **Test zx works**
+
+    zx installs itself to `~/bin`, so make sure that's in your
+    `$PATH`.
+
+    ```bash
+    zx run erltris
+    ```
+
+
+## Ubuntu
+
+- [Source: *Building Erlang 26.2.5 on Ubuntu 24.04*](https://zxq9.com/archives/2905)
+- [Video tutorial (Ubuntu 18.04, March 2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQZc7EB8BVY)
 
 Adapt this to your Linux distribution.