Just curious to know,

what's actually happening when installing programs in linux (i.e ./compile make etc), How is it that linux handles these things?I know that with windows programs usually have a setup file which you run which then installs files to a dirctory you specify and system folders and does it's registry stuff, but what's actually going on here with linux, its seems like everything's going everywhere....? A bit of insight would be greatly appreciated.

# Guides to software and installation
LNAG - How do I install a program I downloaded from the Internet?
Rute Guide's software explanation

These are genereic build instructions

When you run the ./configure scripts you are telling the software and make what options to use when building the source.

"make" will create binaries, libraries, config files, docs, man pages, whatever in the source tree where you built it.

"make install" will install the stuff you just built to the paths defined by the configure scripts (which either used the defaults or the options you passed to the ./config script).

For example - If i build the apache-1.3.27 in /usr/src/packages/apache-1.3.27 nothing gets 'installed' until I run the make install script. After installing it will put apachectl in /usr/bin and any libraries in /usr/libexec and the httpd in /usr/local/apache/bin

that fancypiper is _fast_

Thanks mcleodnine, I like your explanation, quick, clear and with examples.

Not as complicated as i thought. Im beggining to realise that about Linux, the more you get into it, things aren't as difficult or complicated as they initially appear. I guess it's just a matter of breaking away from the old bad computer habits windows has fed me.

Thanks heaps.!! I love this place, people actually do wanna help, It's great!