Help with install outside of Fink

[Don Benot]

I have a question on installing an x11 app. I installed gnotepad+ using Fink. The user manual is a separate install not supported by Fink. I downloaded it, and the install doc reads,

To install, simply do:

./configure
make install

This installs the help files into the directory:

$(datadir)/gnome/help/gnotepad+/

$(datadir) is typically "/usr/local/share".

There are a two configuration options which one may want to change:

--prefix=DIR
Install gnotepad+ in DIR instead of /usr/local

--enable-gnome [default=yes]
By default gnotepad+ will look for the "gnome-config" script
and if found, will set the installation prefix to the value
obtained from running "gnome-config --prefix".

Am I to assume that the user manual should go in the same directory as the app? Assuming it does, should I then type:

./configure --prefix=/sw/bin
make install

Do I need to use the --enable-gnome option?

I'm new at anything beyond the very basics with this CLI stuff.

I appreciate any help you may throw my way.

Don

[wgscott]

Try this:

./configure --prefix=/sw
make
sudo make install

Do I need to use the --enable-gnome option?

I don't know. Soon you will :)

[Don Benot]

Thanks for the response wgscott,

After following the thread:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8607

I decided to just give it a go and then move it where I wanted it. The upshot is, it installed under another name, I don't know where it is, but the "parent" app knows it's there and uses it so I'm happy. A little ignorant perhaps, but happy.

Regards,
Don

[ClarkGoble]

Just so you know, adding things to /sw like this is typically safe, but you may run into problems in the future when you upgrade. For instance I downloaded several themes for KDE but decided to keep them in a subdirectory in my home directory rather than in /sw. That way I know they won't ever accidentally be overwritten or have permissions changed on them. Unlikely, I know. However in this case if Fink upgrades gnotepad to have those files you may end up with duplicates. (Not necessarily a *bad* thing, but space wasting nonetheless)

To find out where your file is try using the find command.

Say:

find /sw -name doc -print

(Yes, I know the -print isn't necessary, but I like the habit so I do it right on older systems)

A good strategy to have, I've found from hard experience, is to keep a little text file. In it put what you installed and when. Put the version number. In this case find out where it went and put a note. Trust me. A year from now when you can't remember what you did you'll be thanking me.