Where do I install software????

[captaindoogles]

Ok I know this is a dumb dumb questions. Linux allows you to install anywhere, but its driving me nuts. I want to be a little more organized with my file system and use it properly.


When I manually install a web server I make a /LAMP directory and place my LAMP services in the file. I also make a /Network file to install the network software like nagios and such.

When I do this I feel like Im installing software on the C:\, instead of C:\Program Files. Ya, I just referenced windows on a Linux site, my bad.

What is honestly the correct setup. I am working on CentOS and Suse mainly.

[HROAdmin26]

Linux Filesystem Hierarchy

This document outlines the set of requirements and guidelines for file and directory placement under the Linux operating system according to those of the FSSTND v2.3 final (January 29, 2004) and also its actual implementation on an arbitrary system. It is meant to be accessible to all members of the Linux community, be distribution independent and is intended to discuss the impact of the FSSTND and how it has managed to increase the efficiency of support interoperability of applications, system administration tools, development tools, and scripts as well as greater uniformity of documentation for these systems.

[Kieren]

You should be using your package manager to install software. Your package manager will download and install programs for you and then keep them up to date too.

Don't worry about talking about Windows, we all know it exists

[chris81]

Another place where to get informations about FHS

Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

[MTK]

It was quite difficult to figure out the way the filesystem is organized coming from Windows.

In Windows, each program had its own folder in which the program stored its files anyway it wants.

In *nix, there are designated files in which one part of all the programs go. For example bin contains all the executables of all the programs, etc.

/bin is usually essential command-line commands (i.e. ls, cp, tar)
/sbin are system commands
/usr/bin contains general programs (i.e. vi, Firefox, GIMP)

I am not sure, however, what /usr/share and /usr/local are for.