How do you install programs from source on Linux?

Question

I've read several tutorials on the internet, but none of them seem to work. Usually, when I run "./configure" (after extracting my source archive into /usr/local/src), something goes wrong and it refuses to create the Makefile.

Answer 1

I know compiling from source can be daunting. This tutorial I have found to be most useful in the past http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/softinstall.html



LUg.

Answer 2

Which distribution are you using? What are you trying to install? What does it say when "something goes wrong?"



Installing programs from source on Linux should be the last resort to installing the program. You should always try to find and install a package (rpm or dpkg or something like that, depending on your distribution on linux).



When you do have to install software from source, what often happens is the computer needs to compile the source codes into a binary that you can run. This involves many different tools, compilers, libraries, and header files, depending on what software you are installing. Many Linux distributions do not install these developer tools by default.



My guess is that when you run ./configure, it finds that you are missing one or more of the development tools needed to compile the program, and then fails. The solution to this would then be to install the particular development tool (preferably through your distribution's package manager) and try again.

Answer 3

Okay, you've now answered the question. These lines:



checking for working aclocal... missing

checking for working autoconf... missing

checking for working automake... missing

checking for working autoheader... missing

checking for working makeinfo... missing



are about the packages you need to make just about any configure script run. Use pacman to go down that list and install each of those packages and see what happens. I've also found a page in archlinux.org which seems to cover the subject. I've obviously replaced what was inessential in my answer. One paragraph remains as essential now as it was before you identified your distro:



Oh, if nobody's told you, ALWAYS READ THE README AND INSTALL DOCUMENTS BEFORE TRYING TO COMPILE ANYTHING. ALWAYS. I love to make jokes at my own expense. Believe me, after eight years of ./configure, make, make check and make install if I DON'T still read them EVERY SINGLE TIME, I don't need to make jokes at my own expense because I am one.