Ubuntu-devel-discuss Digest, Vol 44, Issue 41

[Abraham Smith]

>> > I would like to create an application which extracts,configures,sets
>> > the path for installation and install any software package that is
>> > downloaded in the .tar.gz format or any other.
>>
>> >In some cases it is plain easy: "./configure && make && make >install",
>> >but many packages needs more work and I see no way to automatize >it completely.

Look into Gentoo's ebuild system.
If you're OK with python and bash, you can probably figure out how to
make it work in a stand-alone manner.
If you're doing this enough to need an actual system for it, then you
might just try Gentoo and do the whole shebang.