Install to /usr or /usr/local ?
 

Hey, I was just wondering what people install to and why. As Slackware users, i figure there are alot of people who are compiling from source instead of using a package manager so you really have to keep up with dependencies when you do it like that. I used to install all my stuff to /usr/local to differentiate my programs from the distribution, but I'm considerng installing to /usr to help me keep track of all my dependencies and not worry about stuff looking in the wrong place for things. I don't know if I'd do anything with /usr/local then but it just seems like it might be easier. So what's everybody else do?

EDIT: And to clarify, i was just referring to anything you install on your system that doesn't come with your distro, so if you have a different area for make installs vs. packages, just specify in your posts, Thanks ... Im sorry for not making that more clear previously

If you start putting non-packaged sofware in /usr, you *will* regret it sooner or later.

The vast majority of extra stuff I install I use a SlackBuild from SlackBuilds.org. In that case most of it goes in /usr, but I am using Slackware's built-in package manager. In the case of manual installs, it either goes in /usr/local or /opt, but I don't have much of those. Mainly because about everything I have can be found on SlackBuilds.org. I also have a few Autopackage programs. I voted /usr/local, because I assumed you were talking about stuff that you don't use installpkg/pkgtool for.

I generally install to --prefix=/usr
but if I'm not using a SlackBuild, I'm using makepkg. so everything outside of $HOME is part of a tgz package and can easily be removed.

I'm with rworkman. Most packages that you compile yourself seem to default to /usr/local. I've kept them like that to stop any interference with Slack packages.

Also, where the package is installed has zero to do with dependency checking.

Cheers.

It has to to with where pkg-config searches for pc files and LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

Only and always use /usr/local for unpackaged programs which you install you using 'make install'. /usr should only be used for packaged software.

I always try to make packages. But why should unpackaged software go to /usr/local?

I install to wherever I feel like it. Usually I install anything that includes shared libraries into /usr, and everything else to /usr/local. I could just install everything to /usr, and I may decide to do it like that. I use paco for source package management, so I can remove anything that I install.

If you do install to /usr, you should make sure you're not trying to install something that is already installed, which I've done a number of times.

Because it's a lot easier to wade through /usr/local than it is to try to deal with the deluge in /usr if you have to manually uninstall a program.

The problem I came up with dependencies was programs that have it hardcoded into configure scripts to look in places like /usr and not use pkg-config to find out where stuff is. Then theres Python programs which have to go into Python's prefix so i have to install them in /usr. I do like using /usr/local to keep my programs seperate from the distro's though and after reading the support for /usr/local, i'll probably continue with it when it's possible. I'm reformatting now so i just wanted to decide before i started reinstalling all my programs

What about packages you make with makepkg, do you use /usr for that?

And to clarify, i was just referring to anything you install on your system that doesn't come with your distro, so if you have a different area for make installs vs. packages, just specify in your posts, Thanks :) ... I also added this note at the top of the thread to make sure people see it when they vote.

Don't use makepkg that often, but when I do it'll either go in /usr or /usr/local. Doesn't really matter to me, since I can use removepkg to get rid of it.

If I install things from source, I just use the default prefix. I've never had problems doing this and it's not like I uninstall things anyway..

I would better use /opt