Hello Linux Users -

I just got through a Slackware 10.0 installation on my old machine, and I am hoping to set up Apache, PHP, MySQL, but first I have a few questions about installing things on Linux. I tried my best to find answers at already-existing resources, really what I'd like is just some confirmation from some more experienced Linux users.

My first question involves Firefox - I usualy use it on my Win XP pc, so I'd like to add the latest version of it to the Slack box in hopes of making migration smoother. Anyway, I went ahead and downloaded the Firefox .tar.gz file to my desktop, and extracted it to a folder, and typed './firefox-installer' as the installation info told me to do. This brings up an installer menu that has me choose which directory to install to - and this is where I'd like some guidance.

1. As far as I can tell, the proper place to point this installer is the /usr/bin/ directory, so that root and regular users can access the program. Does this seem correct?

2. Throughout the process of downloading and the start of the installation, I was using the root account - would this be considered the "proper" way to do proceed, or would it be better to do it in my user account and then switch to root with 'su'?


Finally I plan to install Apache, PHP, and MySQL, so I've already read up on the basic installation procedure for each package. At the most simplified, it's a matter of extracting the directory from the .tar.gz, and then using the ./configure, make, make install sequence. Just one more thing I'm wondering about that procedure.

3. Is it at all important where I keep the source directory during install, and should I keep that source after the make install step?


Sorry for such a long first post, hopefully I can get this cleared up quicly, or somebody can point me to a good resource. Thanks in advance for any input offered.

-Dave

1. You can stick it where you like, though /usr/sbin would be good. You could also create an extra directory /usr/mozilla and in there make directories for firefox and t-bird.

This is actually a tad sloppy of mozilla - most install scripts have a default location or some advice in the installation notes.

2. You should never go online as root. Use your user account. Do not do any installations as root if you can possibly help it. (Sometimes you have to - then do su like you said so only that process has root access.)

If you are in root, anyone else accessing your system also has root - it's like leaving your keys in the car and a big sign in the window saying "steal this one".

3. It is not important where you keep the source directory. You don't normally have to keep it after the executable and supporting stuff is installed. Sometimes you do. This depends on the good folk who wrote the source and your engenuity. It is usually a good idea to keep the source archive though, and to write down anything you had to fix (for eg) and save that too.

Thanks for the input Simon. My next foray into the world of Linux after getting some applications set up will be to learn security & inner-workings type stuff Hopefully I'll learn all the little things that I shouldn't be doing, like going online as root!

Cool - if I'm helpful, please post an affero (thanks button) ta

Some tips - google "netequette"(sp?)
Read through all the tutorials in the tutorials page.

If you get stuck on an error message, paste the whole error into the google bar and search.

After you're working like you like it, try answering some questions ... don't worry if you don't know exactly, do some research. Particularily start with the newbie installation questions - since your closer to this issue than the more experienced users.