[CentOS] software installation - good practice

Wed Nov 11 21:36:14 UTC 2009
Robert Heller <heller at deepsoft.com>

At Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:51:27 -0600 CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:

> 
> Howdy,
> 
> I tend to try out many open source apps/packages - games, editors to
> media tools. I have a bad habit of downloading and extracting source
> in the /var/tmp directory and then doing configure-make-install
> process. I am not sure of best practice (good practices) to be
> followed when installing any software. For example how and where to
> keep the src. Any comments and/or resources would be really helpful.

It does not really matter where you keep the source.

*I* unload the source either somewhere under my home directory or on my
'/extra/' filesystem.  You should *always* do the configure & make steps
as a normal (non-priviledged) user -- *never* as root!  Only do the
install step once you are sure everything built properly.  If you are
just testing it and don't plan on keeping it as a part of your
production system, it is often possible to do the install as a
non-priviledged user using the DESTDIR= option on the install step and
install the program someplace NOT on the system places (eg under /usr or
/usr/local or /opt or whatever).

Whenever possible, I try to find an RPM (even a SRPM) for any
'production' software.

> 
> -
> Thanks,
> CS.
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>   

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
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