Re: [SLE] Manual Installation Procedures
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On Thursday 07 November 2002 08:51 am, Fancher, Mark (GEAE) wrote:
All:
Another newbie question.
When I manually install a program, I use the following procedure:
* Download the program.tar.gz to my desktop * Open bash and cd to the desktop * logon as superuser using 'su' * gunzip program.tar.gz * tar program.tar * cd /program directory * ./configure * make * make install
I wanted to find out if this was the correct procedure. I'm curious about two things:
* Does it matter where you put the .tar.gz file to start with? Is the desktop OK?
It can matter depending on the package. Usually, unpacking the archive creates a new directory containing everything. But sometimes, the package unpacks to a zillion individual pieces in the directory where the archive sits, making a mess to clean up. I always make a new empty directory with some name identifying the package, put the package there and unpack from within the new directory. There is a Unix convention about using /usr/local/src for this sort of thing but this is a matter of taste. I suggest always think "Can I undestructively undo what I am about to do?"
* After you ./configure, make and make install, can you delete the program directory created by tar? I'm thinking that the program is migrated to the proper places after ./configure, make, make install.
Yes, but I would at least keep the ~.tar around for awhile until you are absolutely sure things work. You might need to reconfigure and change switches. This often happens. Make backups. And I never do a final clean-up on compiling something like kde until it's all finished, installed, working, tested and crash-free. If you are worried about disk space, get a bigger hard disk. A big hard disk is cheaper than a few hours of struggle. My $.02 -- Tony Alfrey tonyalfrey@earthlink.net "I'd Rather Be Sailing"
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Tony Alfrey