Hey all--

I've been using Linux for about 4 years but I'm new to Slackware. I just want to say that I LOVE Slack -- I love how straightforward it is.

Anyway, I am used to RPM's and .debs to install apps. I really never compiled source very often.

So, my question is a "best practices" kind of question:

How do you compile apps? Not the ./configure, make, make install -- I mean, where? Do you download into /usr/src and compile there? Is that reserved for the kernel? If so, do you download and install into /usr/local? Where should the binaries be installed /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin or /usr/sbin? I know about checkinstall and to use that instead of "make install" so that's cool but I'm still trying to figure out where I should do my compiling.

I also see folks use a parameter when compiling like ./configure --prefix=/usr or something like that. What is that and why should I use that?

I guess I'm looking for advice from you Slack veterans on what is the best way to maintain my slack box in terms of compiling and managing packages.

Thanks for your comments.

I usually download them to my home directory, then I configure & compile and finally use checkinstall to create a package but I switch to root to do that. It's just a matter of taste where you put the sources.
When you compile programs they are installed under /usr/local/ by default, that's why some guys use the --prefix=/usr switch, to install them under /usr instead. I personally prefer to install them in /usr/local. Again it's just a matter of taste.

Welcome to Slackware.

If you intend to use checkinstall it doesn't really matter where you build your packages. I usually just extract them in my home directory. I usually grab some text off the project's home page to make a decent slack-desc file, rather than just typing in the project name when checkinstall asks for it.

Prefix just tells make where to put the binaries. Depending on who you ask you'll probably get several different answers. Some people will tell you to use --prefix=/usr and some will tell you to use --prefix=/usr/local There are valid reasons for both.

as said, your home dir. is the place to work and by using checkinstall you can keep track of all files.

also, when you compile from source, first thing to do after extracting
is running " ./configure --help ".
this will give a list of options, some standard and some specific to that program.
the options you want to use are then added to the configure-command
like " ./configure --enable-opt1 --enable-opt2 --etc ".

btw.: compiling a kernel can also be done in your home dir.
it's even advised by the kernel team.

egag

You might be interested in this article I wrote:
http://yves.gablin.club.fr/pc/linux....ftware/install

Yves.

-------------
$ cd /usr/local/src
$ tar xjf /path/to/file.tar.bz2
-------------

how do you do that ?
that dir. is not writable by a user.

egag

I have created a special user (build), who is only in his own group (build). This way, when I do a make install DESTDIR=<something>, I'm sure nothing ends up in /etc, /bin or /usr.

I should have written that, you're right! I simply decided, there was no reason to keep users from compiling things in /usr/local/src (only installation is restricted). So I ran (as root):
and all users that are allowed to compile things there (that's only me, actually) are part of /usr/local/src's group.

Yves.

Thanks for all the great responses, guys. I appreciate it!

Can the default prefix be changed to /usr instead of /usr/local for example?

Yes.

Also, after the package is extracted, view the Readme's and Install .txt files. There is a lot of useful info in there. It will tell you the default install routes and sometimes includes the various options. Usually, I let it build to defaults as the developer intended. Its rare that I change many options, except for architecture stuff.

No you miss understood. Not a one time sort of thing. I want to set the default for everything.

you could set an alias in your .bashrc /.zshrc (if you use zsh) for configure to be ./configure --prefix=/usr


I can't remember the bash syntax for aliases of the top of my head, but that could work (don't use it myself, i include it in the build script instead).


Hope that's of some use

-0-

Ya that seems to be the best option at the moment. It brings up other problems because of restrictions later if you want something besides what the alias is but this isn't for me. I'm actually seeking help for a buddy of mine which I have no idea what he is actually trying to do.