[aclug-L] Re: How do I install applications?

["Clint A. Brubakken" <cabrubak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 Larry_Bottorff@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Some ancillary install issues:
> 
> On the typical package xxxx.tar.gz, where should you put it? Open it? Once
> you've done ./configure, make, make install (make test), can you delete the
> setup's directory structure, or is make clean all you should do? I know make
> installs usually copy executables etc. into more generic locations, e.g., 
> /bin,
> but is that always the case? I've seen /usr/local/etc as a place to unpack, 
> also
> /usr/local/source/, as well as a few others. I can usually get things running,
> but I know I'm leaving a mess on my computer.

you can unpack it anywhere you want normally except for special things I
put it in my hime directory, if you plant to keep the source around for a
while (only usefull for things like the kernel and maybe apache,
if your going to be compiling modules for it) /usr/src 
is a good place to keep it. 

most tarballs (as there called) put their binaries in /usr/local/bin, man
pages in /usr/local/man , etc. 

this is because /usr/local are for local programs, effectively those
without packaes that you compiled yourself.

if you don't need it to keep the source , after it works and is installed
you can safely delete the install directory, and the tarball

> 
> Also, I read somewhere about how to keep two or more disk mountings in order 
> to
> keep apps and system/kernel stuff separate. This user said he could change 
> Linux
> versions without redoing all his installed software. Doesn't a new 
> kernel/Linux
> version require manually compiled software to be redone, like maybe a new 
> Linux
> has different libraries?

its good to keep your kernel in a seperate partion from your other files,
so if something happens (ie a log goes crazy), you can still boot the
system.

With a new kernel you might need new programs ie 2.0.* kernals use ipfwadm
and 2.2.* require ipchains, but only a few programs need to be changed.

You don't need to recompile programs for a new kernel either, unless there
kernel modules like the pcmcia modules package. Unless your program
touches raw devices a new kernel shouldn't affect it.

The library issue is irrelative because the kernel doesn't use the same
libaries as user programs, its more basic than that.



> 
> Larry Bottorff
> 
> 
> 

Clint Brubakken
Developer, Computer Science Services Group, LLC
Dictator-for-Life Air Capital Linux Users Group 
Wichita, KS
cabrubak@xxxxxxx
---
"Eric also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and shoots pistols for relaxation,
His favorite gun is the classic 1911-pattern .45 semiautomatic"

  -- Chris DiBona on neo-renassaince Homo Heileinias Eric S. Raymond. (Open 
Sources, 1999 O'Reilly and Associates)