WebEx on Slackware64 14.1

If you've tried to use WebEx on Slackware64, you've probably found that the WebEx interface comes up fine but desktop and application sharing don't work. The issue is because WebEx, despite using Java for its interface, actually contains a number of 32-bit native binaries that it needs for its full functionality. Those binaries won't do anything unless you have installed multilib support.

But even with a multilib Slackware64 system, you won't get desktop sharing to work in Slackware 14.1 due to a missing libpangox dependency. This article on emsperformance.net explains how debug this problem (on Fedora) using strace. You could use strace, but an easier way in this specific case is to go to the WebEx application itself and check for missing libraries. On my computer, WebEx was at ~/.webex/1224. From that directory, run "ldd *.so" and check for missing library dependencies. For me the only missing one was the libpangox library. The emsperformance.net article seems to imply that 64-bit libpangox library would work. I don't see how that is possible since every executable and library that WebEx installed on my PC is 32-bit, but if you happen to have 64-bit libraries under ~/.webex you could try installing libpangox using the pangox-compat SlackBuild to fix the issue. Do that anyway; you may need it for some other 64-bit program.

Assuming your issue looks like my issue, ldd should reveal that atascli.so, atascli2.so, and libgdiplus.so are all looking for a 32-bit libpangox that isn't there. To install it:

1. First download the aforementioned pangox-compat SlackBuild and the pangox-compat 0.0.2 source.
2. Edit the pangox-compat.SlackBuild file and change the line LIBDIRSUFFIX="64" to LIBDIRSUFFIX="".
3. Use su to become root if you're not already root.
4. . /etc/profile.d/32dev.sh 
5. export ARCH=x86_64
6. sh ./pangox-compat.SlackBuild
7. convertpkg-compat32 -i /tmp/pangox-compat-0.0.2-x86_64-1_SBo.tgz
8. upgradepkg --install-new /tmp/pangox-compat-compat32-0.0.2-x86_64-1_SBocompat32.txz

Now check to make sure there are no more missing dependencies. WebEx should be working now.