Uninstall applications

[stokes]

How do I uninstall applications that I have compiled from source?

Specifically I have installed apache2 and php5.0.4, and I want to completely remove both of these.

I tried 'make uninstall' and 'make deinstall' from the directory containing the source files but it dosen't work.

make: *** No rule to make target `uninstall'.  Stop.

[kern]

this is why I never configure with /usr as a prefix

most makefiles dont have a 'deinstall' or 'uninstall' target

you could prise them out yourself

I compile stuff to /opt, that way if I format my OS partition all my apps will still be on the partition mounted in ./opt

you could use 'checkinstall' to make packages then install those, software packages is always the way to go as they can be removed.

I don't bother with software packages I just configure --prefix=/opt/name

hope this helps

[stokes]

this is why I never configure with /usr as a prefix

most makefiles dont have a 'deinstall' or 'uninstall' target

you could prise them out yourself

I think I'm too much of a newbie to understand your response! :o

How do I prise them out myself? I don't remember compiling either of my apps with a /usr prefix.

Would it be safe just to do a rm -R on all the apache and PHP folders and start again?

[kern]

I guess that will be ok

thats what I mean by 'prising'

they are probably in /usr somewhere, maybe /usr/local

the default prefix for configure is /usr

you can change it for example with "./configure --prefix=/opt/mp4" for example, when you type make install, it would use that as the prefix, i.e /opt/mp4/bin, /opt/mp4/man etc.

you'd have to path those binaries up then though, I guess you could learn how to use 'checkinstall' but I never got on with it.

use packages whenever you can, because they can be removed easily and upgraded easily too,I understand apache2 and php5 dont have official slackpkgs but you might be able to find someones available, maybe at linuxpackages.net,

it is really difficult to 'prise' stuff out after you've done a make install and realised it has no uninstall or deinstall target, this is why I never do so as it'll clog your system up with useless stuff in no time, if you used checkinstall after 'make install' it would make a package from the binaries you've just compiled with 'make' and you'd be able to add/remove it till the cows come home.

hope this helps.

[LinuxBox420]

Your best bet is to get checkinstall. It turnes source packages into Slackware .tgz packages, so they can be upgraded or uninstalled with removepkg or pkgtool later on, if you wanted to. Or look for .tgz packages and install them. Both checkinstall and .tgz packges are kept in /var/log/packages for easy maintence. http://asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/ I wrote a little guide on installing packages www.linuxbox420.com

[serz]

kern, doesn't matter whether you use /usr, /usr/local or /opt, if you don't have a "uninstall" you will have problems anyway.

I prefer make_uninstall over checkinstall, it doesn't require you to create a package and then install it.

[kern]

hows that?

I have no problems with a prefix of /opt or whatever because I just delete the directory in there, then poof its gone, I do the library and binary paths myself

so nothing on the main system is touched, ever, apart from official packages, and packages for whatever apps I use that I will get before compiling them.

hmm

[serz]

Take a look at make_uninstall or checkinstall, you won't need to do library and binary paths yourself.

[kern]

I'll have to check them out, I'd rather use checkinstall which I've tried before, to make packages and install those, at least they can come off afterwards

[St. Joe]

I'll have to check them out, I'd rather use checkinstall which I've tried before, to make packages and install those, at least they can come off afterwards

If you want to run Slackware properly then stay away from checkinstall. It is a nice program but I assume you are running Slack because you desire to properly manage your system, and not litter it with debris from package installers that don't adhere to the official Slackware installation methods. If this is not the case then you may as well install any old distro.

Please Read: How-To Make Slackware Packages