Does anyone build applications from source code anymore?

[mpridham]

With all the advances in Linux, particulary with installation methods, I'm wondering if anyone builds apps from source anymore - you know - ./configure; make; make install .... remember them? Personally, I find that you learn much more when building from source than using other installation methods (and it's like way more fun ) . Does anyone else agree? Or am I just a moron?

And does anyone use X windows anymore (sans Gnome or KDE)? Huh? Huh? Do ya?

[oz]

does anyone use X windows anymore (sans Gnome or KDE)? Huh? Huh? Do ya?

Don't know for sure, but it appears from this Linux Forums Poll that lots of people are using X:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/t52...poll-2006.html

[budman7]

I still prefer source-based distros, especially Gentoo.
I rarely do the ./configure thing though.

I prefer X for daily usage.
I prefer CLI for doing any thing else like editing files, fixing X when I break it when editing files that I shouldn't be, stuff like that.

[swordofrue]

Well I am new. I deciced to do LFS and well I want to compile everything. Have no clue why I just do. And ya sooner or later X will be on there and I will proably use Fluxbox or something.

[Darl]

Yea, i think there's still some gentoo users here that compile.
It's eery you mention though because lately I've been thinking about switching from debian and going for something else, preferably where I compile more applications.

Currently for me, one comp uses flux and the other uses the CLI.

[edit] What's also eery is the four of use all jumped on this at once.

[Cabhan]

I use Gentoo, so I do compile from source, just not by hand too much anymore.

Though I did recently release my first open-source app, and so I've executed "ant; ant install" a number of times in testing .


As far as X Windows, why would you? I use Fluxbox, which gives me all the little extras necessary for a happy living space, without bloat. What need have I for barebones X?

[josolanes]

i used to be a gentoo user (as of a week ago), but recently switched for quicker app installs

i still really like gentoo a lot though...nothing beats starting with nothing and building a system fairly easily while having it opitimized for your computer (and customized to your needs). quick app installs became a must, though, so i've recently switched to underground---a variation of arch (can't lose i686 optimizations )

as for X, i use kde now....though i used to use fvwm. kde comees with a lot of bloat, but it's just so easy to use. all the apps make things very simple to do (such as connecting to a windows share). i don't think i've ever used barebones X though

[anomie]

As a FreeBSD user I pretty much compile / install everything from source (ports). As for my SuSE box, I like to go for the binaries when I can. There have been some cases where my only choice was building from source - NAGIOS for example.

[biosx]

I'm on the Gentoo bandwagon (compile from source but not manually)

I think it is the perfect model (based off of ports, no?)

[anomie]

... based off of ports, no?

Yep, portage was created with ports as its model.