Which directory should I install custom packages to?

400Unicorns · 2022-01-06 02:01:36

Wondering if there is a conventional or standard place where custom packages and their git repos are downloaded/built to.

When installing yay for the first time I was told to install the git repo to /opt and build there. Others said that installing to a directory such as ~/build should be fine.

I also want to compile vim from source as I want to use extensions that require python in vim to be enabled and was told to install and compile vim in /usr/local/share.

Just wondering if this is the correct way to do it?

Last edited by 400Unicorns (2022-01-06 02:08:52)

Allan · 2022-01-06 02:28:57

~/build for both. Don't put anything in the root filesystem that is not tracked by pacman.

Trilby · 2022-01-06 02:59:49

This really doesn't make much sense. You do not "install" a git repo. You clone a git repo in order to build the software it contains (and then likely install the built result) after which that repo clone can be removed.

Whoever told you to build yay that way is an idiot. Yay is available in the AUR - if you really want it, just build it with makepkg, and install it with pacman as you would any other AUR package.

That said, if this is a novel idea for you, then who ever told you to use yay in the first place is also an idiot. You should not be using any AUR helper until you understand how makepkg works.

If you want to build your own vim, you can get the PKGBUILD and assorted files with `asp` or just download from the package listing web interface. Then still build with makepkg and install with pacman. Whoever told you to build this some other way and install in /usr/local/share was also an idiot (yes, yes, I stand by that - if they said install it to /usr/local/ I'd disagree, but not so forcefully, but installing to /usr/local/share is just complete nonsense).

You should seek better sources of information - like our wiki. Read the Makepkg page first. Then perhaps the AUR page. Stop reading reddit (wild guess at where all the bad advice came from).

So a direct answer to your title is that you don't install custom packages anywhere. You instruct pacman to install them, and it will handle it properly. If you are asking where to install non-packaged content - the general answer is that you shouldn't. There are lots of exceptions to this general advice, but nothing in your post suggests you are facing any exception. Yay is packaged for arch, vim is packaged for arch.

Last edited by Trilby (2022-01-06 03:40:16)

Arch Linux

#1 2022-01-06 02:01:36

Which directory should I install custom packages to?

#2 2022-01-06 02:28:57

Re: Which directory should I install custom packages to?

#3 2022-01-06 02:59:49

Re: Which directory should I install custom packages to?

Board footer