How to Compile a Program in Linux

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Download the source code for the program or driver from the Internet or other media.

   It will most likely be in the form of a "tarball" and have a file extension of .tar, .tar.bz2, or .tar.gz.
   
   Sometimes a .zip file will be used instead however.
2. 2

   Step 2: Unpack the downloaded code- for .zip files use "unzip your file"

   ,, Arguments such as "
   --prefix=" can be used to control the install location.
   
   This checks that you have the right libraries and versions. , An executable for the program will be created in the bin directory inside the source code directory. ,,
3. 3

   Step 3: for .tgz or .tar.gz use "tar -zxvf yourfile"; for .bz2 use "tar -jxvf yourfile"; or extract your files graphically.

4. 4

   Step 4: In the terminal

5. 5

   Step 5: move into the newly extracted directory (cd dirName).

6. 6

   Step 6: Run the command "./configure" to configure the source code automatically.

7. 7

   Step 7: Once configured

8. 8

   Step 8: run "make" which does the actual compiling (this can take anything from a few seconds to many hours).

9. 9

   Step 9: To install the program- run "make install".

10. 10

    Step 10: You have compiled and installed the program source code.

Detailed Guide

About the Author