I am trying to install some software and I have to use the make command. I never did this and its not going very well. From what I have found I think I have to write a makefile... I found some samples, but I am still unsure of myself.... I was wondering if anybody has any experience with this and would like to share it...

if you are installing something you downloaded, you shouldn't have to write the makefile itself. You should be able to type "./make" in the source directory where you untarred the file.

really... I will give that a shot... Thanks

It's common to run ./configure before ./make . The configure stage can discover what kind of environment you have, and automatically create an appropriate makefile.

It's also common to find a README.Install file and various other READMEs which give helpful information.

there are two kinds of PACKAGES available to install any kind of application:
1. RPM packages
2. Source packages (TAR files).

1.In case of RPM we dont have to take any kinda trouble its a fully user friendly package which can be easily installed by using
2.In source package we get the full source code for the respective application and we have to install it directly from the source code for which we have certain files in the package itself. Installing from source consists of these steps:
a) copy the package in a desired (any) directory, and extract it
b) this will extract the files in a new directory (within the same path), now u need to compile and install these files, u can also read the README or INSTALL file in the extracted directory.
c) this will check if the files necessary for installation are available

d) this will compile the package

e) will install the executable in /usr/local/bin

Now your software is installed and u can run it.


Hope it helped you.

wow... thanks alot...

The only thing is when i use the ./make or the ./configure I get:

"make: *** No target specified and no makefile found. Stop.

I dont know... I found some other ways to do this, I guess installing the Netzero.deb is a common problem.

Well the configure file resides in sources directory so a ./configure will work to execute configure, but a ./make shouldn't work because the make binary doesnt reside in the source directory your in. It should be within your PATH variable so if you wanted to start make it would either be make or something like ./usr/bin/make. You should not have to use the latter.

Hi,

The make utility requires a data file (the make file) to tell it what needs to be done. That file can either be specified as a command line argument to the make utility, or if unspecified, will default to looking for a file called "makefile" or "Makefile". If both "makefile" and "Makefile" exist in the same directory, then the make utility will use the "makefile" make file. The make error message was informing you that it could not either of the default makefiles.

maybe u should read the "README.txt" or something like this to find the way to install the software

Sit back, have a good cup of coffee, and familiarize yourself a little with what you are trying to accomplish before you keep banging yourself against the (futile) effort of attempting to do what you do not yet fully understand. And, trust me, I say this in the kindest tone of voice possible. Been there, done that. You are, and I say this politely, wasting your time now, and it's time to fall-back and regroup. And please don't feel the slightest-bit awkward, embarrassed, or unique.

Re-read the installation instructions for whatever piece of software you are trying to install. If it's clear-as-mud, why not contact the vendor. You're not the first one, and why lose your own hair over something that others have already given up some many hair-follicles for? Specific questions, asked here, will also be swiftly answered. (Umm, probably by bald-people. ...)

In most Linux software, unless there is a "package" that you must install, the usual process is the command ./configure followed by ./make. The first step constructs a "Makefile," which is the sequence of commands that need to be performed; the second step executes them. After the package has been successfully built, the usual command to install it is ./make install.

I see you understand my pain... Contacting the vendor is the next step on my list...

Aldso, you should type make, not ./make ... unless your make executable happens to be residing in the current working directory (it almost certainly isn't).