where to store source files in vector
 

what's good practice for storing source files in a specific location?

The "compiling source" in Linux Answers suggests /usr/local/src but on my system a regular user doesn't have access to that. Is that normal? It's just i don't much get this permissions lark accept to say the less i have access to the less i can screw up, so, if i don't have access by "default" (if there is even such a thing) is it ok to give myself access to these files?

I take it you're talking about kernel source? It may vary , but in most distributions it would be something like /usr/src/linux-x.xx.xx-x . Yes its normal
for regular users to not have access. if you want , or need to access the files
you can login as root or su root. I'm not all that convinced that its a good idea to change the file permissions to allow regular users access kernel source for security reasons, but chmod is the utility you want to use to change the premissions.

It's basically all up to your own preferences. I use Debian, and /usr/local/src is owned by root.staff by default (/usr/src is owned by root.src though). I usually change the ownership of this directory to root.src and add myself (and others that may want to use /usr/local/src for storing big source trees) to the src group. If you haven't got an "src" group on your system, just create one (using the addgroup command as root) and then make the ownership changes.

Håkan

i was talking about just plain boring old source for applications cos i know you aren't supposed to move the source code once you compile it, just in case you need to make clean or make uninstall. i think that's true. LQ recommended usr/local/src so i figured i'd ask.