installing without root access

[newlinuxdude]

hi, so im new to linux, need it for a project. basically, im working off a cluster that runs on linux, i dont really know what distribution it is, but i dont think it will matter too much. Im trying to install something. I dled the source code did "./configure" and then i went into src directory and did "make install". the error message is that, i cannot create the directory /usr/local/lib/vmd. so...i believe this is because i am my own user and not the root...is there anyway to get around this? i need to install this and avoid asking the root user to do it for me. can i just install it on my own user account?

[newlinuxdude]

hi, i need to install something on linux. got source code. --> did "./configure" worked fine --> did "make" worked fine, i think --> "make install" returns a message like "mkdir /usr/local/.... ermission denied"

I assume this is because i am not the root user and am trying to install software. I do not have root access. Can I install something on my own user account? how? change the configure file? is that it?

also I have tried to add the prefix to ./configure command "./configure --prefix=/home" <-- this does not work

[kurtdriver]

As long as the source and prefix are in your own directory, most programs ought to go in. Does the program require root access to run? That could be a problem.

[jayd512]

I've not tried to install without root access, and I'm not at my box right now... but try this instead:

./configure --prefix=$HOME/install

or this

./configure --prefix=/home/user_name/bin

Let us know if it works.