Where to download tar files to?
 

I'm new to linux and was wondering with all the various downloadable tar files. Is there a directory or place you download them to by default before you tar xzvf the file? Does it make any difference where it is? For instance does it have to be somewhere relevant to that particular software?

You can put them anywhere you want. The software will go to it's proper place when you extract and install what's inside.

You could for example create a directory in your home called 'source' and keep all your downloaded tar files there. You could create another direcotry called 'build' for performing the make which you can then delete once the install is successful, to save disc space. Of course you don't have to do this, but it keeps things organised and tidy. If you want to download files into random places all over your harddisk this will also work, it just is a bit harder to remember where everything is.