Chapter 5. Installing Tcl/Tk

5.1. Introduction to Tcl/Tk

Tcl is a dynamic programming language, while Tk is a graphical user interface (GUI) toolkit. They provide a powerful and easy-to-use platform for developing cross-platform applications with graphical interfaces. As a dynamic programming language, 'Tcl' provides simple and flexible syntax for writing scripts. The tcl package provides the interpreter for this language and the C library. You can use Tk as GUI toolkit that provides a set of tools and widgets for creating graphical interfaces. You can use various user interface elements such as buttons, menus, dialog boxes, text boxes, and canvas for drawing graphics. Tk is the GUI for many dynamic programming languages.

For more information about Tcl/Tk, see the Tcl/Tk manual or Tcl/Tk documentation web page.

5.2. Installing Tcl

The default Tcl implementation is usually installed by default. To install it manually, use the following procedure.

Procedure

  • To install Tcl, use: 

    # dnf install tcl

Verification steps

  • To verify the Tcl version installed on your system, run the interpreter tclsh. 

    $ tclsh

  • In the interpreter run this command: 

    % info patchlevel
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  • You can exit the interpreter interface by pressing Ctrl+C

5.3. Installing Tk

The default Tk implementation is usually installed by default. To install it manually, use the following procedure.

Procedure

  • To install Tk, use: 

    # dnf install tk

Verification steps

  • To verify the Tk version installed on your system, run the window shell wish. You need to be running a graphical display. 

    $ wish

  • In the shell run this command:: 

    % puts $tk_version
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  • You can exit the interpreter interface by pressing Ctrl+C