How to install all software files to a specific directory?

sepehre · 07-31-2006, 02:30 PM

Hi,

I feel my question is a very beginner one, but I have never found the answer to it.

When install (e.g. ImageMagick) using configure, make, and make install, the files are by default put in system /usr/local (or similar) directories.

How can I prevent this and have all the files be compiled, and installed in for example /home/user/ImageMagick/ ?

Thanks,
Sepehre

PMorph · 07-31-2006, 02:40 PM

If only the resulting executable file is needed, you can simply skip the "make install" part and copy the resulting binary in the folder you want to have it.
Ofcourse, you then have to give the absolute path to the file in order to run it (unless the folder is in search path).

raskin · 07-31-2006, 03:25 PM

./configure --prefix=$HOME/program
can do magic..

sepehre · 08-01-2006, 04:56 PM

thanks a bunch,

/configure --prefix=$HOME/program is exactly what I needed.

ciotog · 08-01-2006, 09:38 PM

Just keep in mind that installed library files that are dependencies for other programs have to be found when you install the program that depends on the previous, and if you install everything in its own separate folder you're likely to run into problems. Also the executable won't be in the path unless you add the containing directory, and if you do this a lot your PATH variable will get pretty long...