[xubuntu-users] make

[Roderick Aldridge]

Lee Gold wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have some very "newbie" questions about installing a program via "make". 
>
> Say I have a folder with the program source. Does it make a difference whether I have the folder on my desktop, home folder or wherever? Is it like a .deb package, where I run the package and all the programs components/files are put in the correct and secure place in the file system...So does installing from source require me to initially place the install folder in a particular location? Esp. for best security?
>
>  What does $ ./configure do? According to the instructions I do this first. The make, then make install.
>
> Sure a config file would be installed in my home but I'm sure the compiled code should not be installed in my home. I'm afraid of the make not doing the optimum things because i don't know enough about. Synaptic made my transitions to Linux easier from "that other OS" but I would like to understand make now. Thanks, Lee G.
>
>   
Always use the distro repositories if you can (in this case xubuntu) 
because these are designed to work with the rest of your system, and 
will be automatically updated and maintained. Only use other programs if 
you can't find anything suitable from the repositories. They may 
interfere with some of your existing system. Also you will have to 
maintain them yourself.

Roderick Aldridge