Ken Wilson wrote:
>
> Normally you want to install user programs to /usr/local/bin. This should
> be part of everyone's path. The reason is for easy back up of your add-ons
> and to give one general location everyone can find things. The install
> manager of the program may have other ideas, just go with it if it does.
There is also a relatively new option and that is /opt. I think (purely
guesswork) it was created as something of a replacement for /usr/local
to make it more obviously a separate partition (and capable of being
backed up separately, and not overwritten on a re-install/upgrade of the
OS).
I generally use it for applications that aren't just binaries (i.e. they
install into their own directory). They need their bin directory to be
added to the $PATH or have a link to the binary file(s) put in some
directory that's already in the $PATH.
> I'm not sure if you need to be root to install. Just make sure all files
> and directories it is in have read/execute permissions set for group and
> others.
To install, you only need to have write permission to the directory (or
directories) where the files are being placed. To execute, you have to
have execute privileges to the binary files. (They don't *have* to be on
the $PATH to be executed, that just makes it so you don't have to
specify the full path to the executable file.)
I hope that's clear enough. I'm kind of writing in a hurry.
~Mike
