Linux Tips

If your build from source is successful, you can make a Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb) for future use: Install package tools: sudo apt-get install checkinstall Rebuild package using "checkinstall": cd /path/to/extracted/package ./configure sudo make sudo checkinstall Keep the resulting ".deb" file for future use. It can later be installed using: sudo dpkg -i packagename .deb Note: These are basic instructions that may not always work. Some packages require additional dependencies and optional parameters to be specified in order to build them successfully. Also see these Ubuntu wiki instructions

Make sure you have all the necessary development tools (i.e. libraries, compilers, headers): sudo apt-get install build-essential sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` Note: "uname -r" lists the current kernel you are using Extract the archive that contains the source files: tar xvf sourcefilesarchive .tar.gz Build the package using the package's script (in this case the configure script), compile the package (make), and install the compiled package into your system (make install): cd /path/to/extracted/sourcefiles ./configure sudo make sudo make install Note: typing ./ before a filename in the current folder allows the Linux shell to try and execute the file as an application even if it is not in the path (the set of folders which it searches when you type a command name). If you get a "permission denied" error, the file is not marked as being executable. To fix this: sudo chmod +x filename Example: In the above instructions, configure is th...