Hey guys, I'm really getting into Linux and want to know how to install software without an pkg or any other packing manager. Basically, my question is how to install software by only using tar and placing files in appropriate locations. I'm assuming most new software will go to /opt, but again, I'm still learning.

Does anyone care to explain how, or can point me some reading on it? (When I googled, I found nothing but package management systems)


I feel like for me to full grasp Linux and its workings, this is important to know.

Thanks

If I understand you correctly then maybe you want to use Gentoo as your distro. I think it will meet your requirements.
jdk

Actually, Gentoo has a very robust package manager, Portage. Slackware is really much more like what you are looking for.

More info:

http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials...age-management

Hello

Not sure, but it sounds like Linux From Scratch might be a good option for meeting your requirements:

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/

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I was gonna add LFS to my post, but you beat me to it!

Slackware also has a solid and good package management.
If you want to learn how to install software from source the first thing to look at is the README or INSTALL files in the tar-ball of the software, since different software uses different build-systems and need different options.
Building software so that it is installed in /opt is a good idea, but a better idea is to learn how to build proper packages for your distribution from the software sources.

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This is just your normal everyday "source install"

I build a lot of my programs .Some is mostly from years long habit
-- i build gimp from source and a few other things like ( Nip2/vip,Celestia, gmic, the old game "virus-killer,....)
-- old habit ---

you DO need to pay very close attention to the dependencies so as to NOT replace what the OS is using

and NOT everything uses autotools
there is also "cmake" and "scons" and a few others

almost every source tarball (tar.gz,tgz, and so on) has a README and a INSTALL text file
-- read them
And / or has a folder called " Docs "
and has build instructions on the web page for the program .

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I see from your profile you are using Linux Mint, is that accurate?

You may find this guide helpful (Mint is based on Ubuntu): https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompilingEasyHowTo

You do not need to switch to Gentoo, Slackware, or LFS to compile applications from source; all distributions have this capability.

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+1
Best advice so far.

Advising a beginner to use LFS (!!!) (or even an OS designed for advanced users) strikes me as "dubious" advice. I have always believed in the idea of learning the basics before trying to do anything advanced. Since computers are no different than anything else, I believe that rule of life applies to them. But perhaps it is just me.

The only thing if you are going to compile your software from source is tha make sure you keep your system with the latest libraries and whatever dependency you need to built your apps. I dont know if GCC is included and the kernel headers for it in Linux Mint.

Good luck to you!

If you download a package you would use the terminal to un-tar it.
To learn more about 'tar'
Open the terminal and you will see this after you type in "man tar"
These sites should help:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/how-to-...unix-or-linux/
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=36707
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1bzV9S0kQ

Good luck to you and best regards

Thanks for the advice guys. I've played with Ubuntu, Mint, and Slackware, so I figured know exactly how to install anything on most distros would be a good concept to learn.

Well, I don't really agree. And then again, I agree completely, depending on how you read it.

It may just be wording, but the OP was not (quite) advised to use LFS. Now, given that the LFS book is brilliant, and I think that everyone should read it (but very few people should actually do the whole thing), and that the advice given doesn't say what you should do with LFS, , you can read it as 'read the book (or at least, that part of the book that interests you), and then you will know more'. That part probably wasn't exactly what Ozar meant, but I still think that it is good advice!

Reading to add to knowledge is definitely a good idea, but that is not how I interpreted the replies in this thread. I posted my criticism, because I saw LFS mentioned in a couple posts. On many occasions I have seen people recommend using LFS and systems like Arch to newbies who have not yet discovered the most basic of basics. It has caused my hand to quickly draw the sword when I see such things.

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Having said that; what distribution have you decided upon to be you predominant operating system?

I'm asking because the commandline utility that Slackware uses is not the same commandline utility that Ubunt and Mint use--
With Slackware dependency resolution is handeled differently.