./
 

One more stupid question, but I can't find this in installed documentation (I don't have any hardcopy manual yet):
what means ./ (in ./config) and what does make command do (in make and make install)

Where in documentation can I find more about commands?

Thanks

./ Run from the current directory

The Make utility compiles all your code and makes the executables.

Make install copies the executables to their final directories.

in the directory structrue, .. means one level down the tree, you probably knew that, but . means the directory you're currently in. You have to type ./command as root because as a protective measure root can only run commands in the directories listed in the path variable unless the path is included in the command. This way you can't be fooled into running a virus called "ls" that's in your current directory.

./command just means "run the command program located in the present working directory".

Hope that helps

A nice way to think of it is to replace "." with the current directory, like:

./configure == /home/contrasutra/source/configure