Where to build software?

[matthewa]

Im interested in other Linux users thoughts on a particular subject. Let's just say I've just downloaded a tarball for jre (java), or maybe the mplayer, or the Firefox installer so that I can update the system to the latest release.........you with me?

Ok..........Now, Im the admin and I have a couple users on the system so naturaly Im going to want these programs to be installed globaly. The question is, whats the best place within the Linux file tree to put the tarball, unzip it, and begin to build this software in.

PLEASE NOTE

Make install usually places the proper files in the proper places within the file tree and I'm normaly going to delete both the tarball and the build directory when im done. So, im not concerned with where software should or should not be installed.

Im concerned about the best place for the actual build process to take place as the systems admin. In other words should I build software in /opt? Or roots home maybe (/root). /usr/local/share?

[retired1af]

I'm not sure I follow? You are going to just create an area that will be accessed by others as well for the actual install?

You aren't going to allow other users access to root. So the optimum solution is to create a partition just for building software, and then grant access to that partition for the other users when needed.

[Giro]

Normally /usr/src I think but it doesnt really matter, Here is the LHS that suggests where things should go for GNU/Linux.

[matthewa]

no.....no. Let me clarify. I tend to use the /opt directory for the purpose of compiling new software for my system. Let's just say that I dont have OpenOffice installed on my distro, but I want it. So I download the tarball and place it in the /opt directory, untar it there, and then enter the untarred file to begin compiling the software.

So is /opt a good place to compile in, or should it be done in the /root directory. Or would /usr/local/share be better? Where do you compile from?

Sorry, I should have said compile instead of build on my last post.