Re: [gentoo-user] Installing outside of Portage & cruft removal

[Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:44 PM, Paul Hartman
<paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:30 PM, Grant <emailgrant@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.