Installing a non-package software

[Anders_W]

Hi again!

As an alternative to the method in the linked thread: http://forum.excito.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3366, I am trying to install a piece of software that does not come as a debian package, but as a tar ball.

Since I'm new to the command prompt, I'm not sure where to put the tar ball (which I now have on a USB memory stick, since source forge does not allow me to get through FTP), or quite what to do with it.

Step 1: Where do I put the tar ball before decompressing it?

Step 2: What do I do with it once it is decompressed? Am I correct in assuming that I should give the commands

• ./configue
  make
  make install

?

Step 3: Is that all?


Any help is greatly welcomed!

[Ubi]

yes that is all, if all the dependencies are present (such as build-essential) and there are no problems during the build. But the compiler will inform you of this. But if all is ok, the compile is indeed very simple.

[Anders_W]

OK, thanks!

Is there any particular place that I should unpack and compile the software?

(I have used Macs for years, and they do not require this kind of manual labor, so I really don't know.)

[RandomUsername]

The scripts install all the relevant files in the right places so you just need to uses working directory such as ~/downloads.

[ryz]

Just make sure that you first install the package build-essential by running

Code: Select all

apt-get install build-essential

as root to install the most common needed packages when compiling your own software.