Halo,
I need some advises/suggestions for the way I download/compile/install files.
I don't know if the following steps are correct:

log as root.
download the file name.tar.gz to the /usr/local/tmp directory I make this directory myself)
tar the file in the above directory
./configure
make install
and then the program's bin will go to /usr/local/bin directory by itself.

I am wondering should I save the download files to /tmp directory or /usr directory? or doesn't matter? because I am affair if something bad happen when I compile the files, it will affect the whole directory?

any corrections, suggestions !!

Thanks

log in as normal user.
make a downloads directory inside your home directory.
extract it there and compile it
sudo and make install

Thanks for ur suggestion. so when the instruction says "log as root", does that mean I cannot compile/install the files in /home directory? must be in /root?
and let's say if I want to download Libsigc++, can i download in /home (log as normal user) and after I compile the files, the /root/usr/bin will have a record automatically?

thank again. !!

when you compile a program, the place of installation is controlled with the --prefix command.
configure --prefix=/usr/local
will install the stuff under user local when you run make install, no matter where you compiled. you don't have to be root to compile, unless your system is set up that way. you just have to be root, or have root privliges to install the software where every user on the system has access.

1. it does not matter where You are going to download it
2. as root, do only what is needed, nothing more
3. You do not need to be root for downloading file
4. common instructions are
0. odwnload the file (in your home folder)
1. untar the file (if it is in gzip try tar xvzf file.tar.gz)
2. cd in untared directory
3. less README
4. less INSTALL
5. su
6. ./configure
7. make
8. make install

And You are done. Do not forget number 7 ;-)
Enjoy.

Yano..you are not the newbie...=)