Uninstalling in linux - ideas
 

Forgive me if this is an old idea but, I just wanted to start a dicsussion on ideas about uninstalling apps. This really only applies to software compiled from source. Most source software I've dealt with has an uninstall option in the make files - make uninstall for example.... now for me (not sure about everyone else), I end up usually removing the dir containing the build of my compile therefore leaving me unable to remove the files in the future, should I need to.

The idea: when doing make install, possible also copy the make files to say, a dir like /usr/local/uninstallinfo, and have a standard command implemented into linux to actually call those files doing a "make uninstall" specified by the program name. I know something similar is already implemented in package managers; programs like Gentoo Portage and Debians Apt-get.

What do you think? Should there be a standard where programs install an uninstall make file or not? Maybe some other method?

Steven.

I use Checkinstall. http://asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/index.php

It creates and installs a Slackware, Debian, or RPM package. That way you can remove or reinstall it easily. Comes in great handy!

Very nice - Just taking a quick glance at the site, it looks like the kind of thing I meant. I didn't know that something like that already existed... thanks for bursting my bubble and also introducing me to this. I'll look into it a bit more.

Cheers :)