On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:44 PM, Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gen...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:30 PM, Grant <emailgr...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> Writing an ebuild is best, but sometimes you just want to give a >>>> program a try without writing an ebuild (like everyone else running >>>> Linux does) and a scruft script enables you to do that without making >>>> a mess of your system. >>> >>> Not to be picky, it's just an idea but in that case, isn't it way easier to >>> just ./configure --prefix=/some/dir/inside/yourhome or edit a makefile? >> >> I have to say I know nothing about compiling or installing outside of >> portage. Does specifying a prefix like that work? You get a fully >> functional program with nothing installed outside of some/dir? > > Yes, it's the "normal way" for people that don't use package managers. > I almost always install into my home directory for programs that > aren't in portage (or make my own ebuild if it is a simple one). Or > depending on what program it is, create a user for it and run it under > that user account so it can't touch anything else. > > Also, a lot of more simple programs don't even need to be installed. > Just untar it, configure it, make it and run it from the directory in > which the source resides. > > Paul >
I should also say that installing that stuff to /usr/local tree is also normal.
