Re: build vs install
Hi Brad,
On 4/9/19, Brad Rogers wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Apr 2019 11:35:05 -0400
> Lee wrote:
>
> Hello Lee,
>
>>What are the downsides to getting the source code and doing the
>>build/install myself vs. using a pre-built package other than I'm
>>responsible for noticing the software needs to be updated?
>
> Mostly, it's time. Also, you're responsible for installing any required
> new dependencies, be they development packages or binaries. Which,
> again, comes down to time. Such package requirements aren't always
> immediately obvious, and may not even be mentioned in release notes.
>
> For this reason, there's only one piece of software I compile and install
> 'by hand' as it were.
Yes, building & installing yourself takes time. Hopefully not much
after working the kinks out on the first build/install, but still..
>>The latest example is ttcp
>> http://nuttcp.net/nuttcp/latest/ has 8.1.4
>> https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/nuttcp has 6.1.2-4
>
> I was going to suggest adding stable-backports to your sources.list.
> Assuming, of course, that you're running stable. A quick check of
> Debian packages shows that wouldn't help in this case. A fact, no doubt
> you're aware of, hence your query.
Yes. gawk being the other package I'd like to have on the latest
version, but doesn't seem to be in backports :(
>>If I ever decide to go with the debian package I just uninstall the
>>software I built and .. anything else that needs to be done before
>
> Yes, made easier if the install mechanism creates a useful log and you
> can later 'make --uninstall'.
>
>>installing an official package?
>
> I'd back up any config file(s) just in case anything 'blows up'.
Which raises another question, but I'll start another thread for that.
> That
> is to say, if there's any incompatibility between Debian's way of writing
> the config files, and the package creator's way of doing so. The Debian
> package installer may write the configs somewhere other than where the
> creator does, for example.
But they're still all text files - right? There's nothing like MS
Windows registry that you might have to clean after uninstalling
something or installing in a different location?
Thank you!
Lee
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