1.1.5 Basic Package How to Compile and Install Basic Packages from Source in Linux

Basic Package Compilation from Source in Linux #

When a Linux application is not available as a pre-built package (.deb, .rpm), you can compile it from source. The typical process involves three main steps:

1. ./configure → Checks dependencies & prepares the build.
2. make → Compiles the source code.
3. make install → Installs the compiled binaries.

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Step-by-Step Guide #

1. Download & Extract the Source Code #

• Source code is usually distributed as a .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 file.
• Extract it using:bashtar -xzvf package.tar.gz # For .tar.gz tar -xjvf package.tar.bz2 # For .tar.bz2 cd package/ # Enter the extracted directory

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2. Run ./configure (Configuration) #

• Purpose:
  • Checks system dependencies (libraries, compilers).
  • Generates a Makefile (instructions for make).
• Command:bash./configure
• Common Issues & Fixes:
  • Missing dependencies? → Install them first (e.g., gcc, libssl-dev).
  • Custom installation path? → Use --prefix:bash./configure –prefix=/usr/local/custom

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3. Run make (Compilation) #

• Purpose:
  • Compiles source code into executable binaries using the Makefile.
• Command:bashmake
• Troubleshooting:
  • If compilation fails, check for missing headers/libraries.
  • Clean previous builds:bashmake clean

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4. Run make install (Installation) #

• Purpose:
  • Copies compiled binaries to system directories (/usr/local/bin, /usr/bin).
• Command:bashsudo make install # Needs root for system-wide install
• Uninstalling:
  • Some packages support:bashsudo make uninstall
  • If not, manually delete installed files (check make install logs).

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Optional Steps #

make test or make check (Testing) #

• Some packages allow testing before installation:bashmake test

Custom Build Options #

• View available options:bash./configure –help
• Example (enable debugging):bash./configure –enable-debug

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Example: Compiling htop from Source #

# 1. Download & extract
wget https://github.com/htop-dev/htop/archive/refs/tags/3.2.2.tar.gz
tar -xzvf 3.2.2.tar.gz
cd htop-3.2.2/

# 2. Configure
./configure

# 3. Compile
make

# 4. Install
sudo make install

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Key Notes #

✅ Why compile from source?

• Latest version (not in repos).
• Custom optimizations (e.g., --enable-optimizations).

⚠️ Risks?

• May conflict with package manager (apt, yum).
• No automatic updates (must recompile manually).