Dear all,

I have a recurring problem: most things I dl and try to build, they give me errors... I thought all I was suppossed to do is "configure (options) - make - make install", though it never seems to work for me.

I guess the problems come from the installation of libraries (SDL, crystal space, etc.). I believe they may be ending up in wrong directories!

So can someone explain, or point the way to the information (online or book) explaining the differences between the different path were libs are installed? For example, I have an Athon64, so should I be installing libs in usr/lib or /usr/lib64?

Also, a good reference on compiling stuff on Linux would be more than welcome, since it is becoming quite frustrating to be able to dl lots of stuff, but to compile around 2% of them.

Thanx a lot!

First, the location in which things are installed are specified in the package you download. Different distros may install things in different places. So, trying to compile a source tarball meant for Mandrake probably won't install in the right places for SuSE. When you d/l files, try to make sure you get something for your distro. (Some folks will argue that it doesn't matter for a source tarball. I beg to differ. I've had too many such instances. See the next paragraph to find out how to deal with that situation).

Second, in the ./configure options, you can specify locations to install parts of a package. Look for PREFIX, EXECPREFIX, etc., options. Examine you system to find where other packages are installed, and give similar options to ./configure.

Third, when I first took the plunge into Linux, something called 'Newbie's Linux Manual' got me started (I got it from www.linuxdot.org, but I don't know it the website is still active. You might find the Newbie's manual somewhere else). That covers many of the everyday things Linux users need to learn. It whetted my appetite to know more.

Fourth, use www.google.com/linux to search for Linux related information.

Fifth, Oops! I forgot the most important one! When you download a source tarball, it should contain a README and/or an INSTALL text file. Many source packages have more that the three basic steps you mentioned for compiling. Read the files I've named for each package to see if there are any special steps you have to take to get the package to compile.

Sixth, your post begs the question: why are you compiling for SuSE? It's an rpm based distro. Try the SuSE repositories to see if you can find rpms for the packages you want. Rpms for your distro (make sure you get the correct version number) install much easier than compiling.