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Subject: Re: [geda-help] (x)gsch2pcb produces empty layout in pcb
From: Stefan Salewski <mail AT ssalewski DOT de>
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Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:40:55 +0100
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On Sat, 2012-03-17 at 16:36 -0700, W. Ekkehard Blanz wrote:
> ...just installed and used gEDA tools for the first time (NOOB!!)...
> 
> [...]
> Can any of you gEDA gurus help, please?
> 

It is indeed very unpleasant that such problems may occur to new users.

I have read your post twice, but was not able to really see the problem.

Using self made footprints for the first project is not a very good
idea, because footprints often can cause trouble...

The graphical xgsch2pcb is still in an early state, I would use the
plain gsch2pcb for starting. You may give -vv option to get more verbose
output. And start again with a clean environment, delete all files
created by xgsch2pcb.

You may try to switch off using the m4 footprint by --skip-m4 option to
gsch2pcb.

Doing the 'divide and conquer' strategy may help: Make a copy of you
whole project directory, delete half of the symbols from your schematic,
save and try to generate the pcb file (or direct import into pcb
program). If that works the problem is in the deleted symbols. If it
still does not work, than again delete the half of the remaining
symbols...

And of course, doing a tutorial like

http://www.delorie.com/pcb/docs/gs/gs.html

is always a good idea.

Best wishes,

Stefan Salewski