I just need some clarification

Duneatreides · 03-12-2007, 12:38 AM

Hello Fellow penguin lovers,

I've been using Linux steadily for a year now, and my knowledge has been growing steadily as well. I recently downloaded the xfce-4.4.0 source code (just as an exercise) and when I ran the ./configure --help at the terminal I get this

For better control, use the options below.

Fine tuning of the installation directories:
--bindir=DIR user executables [EPREFIX/bin]
--sbindir=DIR system admin executables [EPREFIX/sbin]
--libexecdir=DIR program executables [EPREFIX/libexec]
--datadir=DIR read-only architecture-independent data [PREFIX/share]
--sysconfdir=DIR read-only single-machine data [PREFIX/etc]
--sharedstatedir=DIR modifiable architecture-independent data [PREFIX/com]
--localstatedir=DIR modifiable single-machine data [PREFIX/var]
--libdir=DIR object code libraries [EPREFIX/lib]
--includedir=DIR C header files [PREFIX/include]
--oldincludedir=DIR C header files for non-gcc [/usr/include]
--infodir=DIR info documentation [PREFIX/info]
--mandir=DIR man documentation [PREFIX/man]

for the --bindir=DIR ; I am assuming these are the user binarys, and --sysconfdir=DIR is the configuration files , and --mandir=DIR is where the man pages go. What are the others? What are architecture-independent files?

Thank you very much

Chris

Hendronicus · 03-12-2007, 01:59 AM

More configuration files, usually, but in this case it's probably the xinitrc file to start the window manager. Also, for whatever reason, XFCE likes to put its config files in /etc instead of /usr/etc . After you install, have a look in /etc/xinit and see if you don't have a xinitrc.xfce file in there.

SciYro · 03-12-2007, 05:48 AM

Those are standard options across all autoconf generated configuration scripts. They control where various parts go. For everyone, only --prefix really matters, sometimes tho the documentation locations you might want to change. These are --mandir and --infodir, sometimes others might be present with the word "doc" or "html" in them. Everything besides --prefix is usually best kept as is, unless you have a reason for changing them.