To: notmuch@notmuchmail.org
From: Rainer M Krug <R.M.Krug@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: RFC: don't ask users to do 'sudo make install'
Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:05:02 +0100
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Message-ID: <4EDF728E.3050204@gmail.com>
References: <E1RYGZF-0005RB-TS@thinkbox.jade-hamburg.de>
	<yf6r50gcxkn.fsf@taco2.nixu.fi>
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In-Reply-To: <yf6r50gcxkn.fsf@taco2.nixu.fi>
Cc: public-notmuch-gxuj+Tv9EO5zyzON3hdc1g@lo.gmane.org, Justus Winter
	<public-4winter-jNDFPZUTrfQBEfOqpokbeYV0Y/DQsy6Ps0AfqQuZ5sE@lo.gmane.org>
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On 07/12/11 14:37, Tomi Ollila wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:25:45 +0100, Justus Winter
> <4winter@informatik.uni-hamburg.de>
> wrote:
>> Hey everyone,
>> 
>> I just noticed that running configure says:
>> 
>>> All required packages were found. You may now run the
>>> following commands to compile and install notmuch:
>>> 
>>> make sudo make install
>> 
>> I think that this is a very poor advice in general and we
>> shouldn't give it to users. I know that the default prefix is
>> /usr/local, but installing notmuch this way makes it very hard to
>> uninstall it later (there is no uninstall target).
> 
> Too bad there is no better 'default' way to do things -- configure
> - make - make install is the way most software provides their
> installation sequence.

Because of these problems, I use checkinstall to create a deb file ( I
am using Ubuntu) which I can then un-install again if I want to, or
update, or anything the package manager can do.

Rainer

> 
> But where does 'sudo make install' work by default? on Ubuntu, on 
> new Fedoras. Where else ?
> 
> The 'uninstall target' is also hard problem as it would require
> configured source directory (and possibly information gathered
> during installation to know what to uninstall) -- To do a separate
> uninstallation too that is installed during notmuch installation
> would be something I don't remember seeing done in unix
> environments ever...
> 
>> If someone decides to install notmuch from source and later on
>> using his or her favorite package manager, the once installed
>> notmuch in /usr/local will still be found and before the one in
>> /usr and thus be preferred.
> 
> Hmm, I've screwed my PATH setting as there usr/local/* comes after
> /usr/* ;/
> 
>> Maybe we should mention stow (https://www.gnu.org/s/stow/)?
> 
> Hmm, in addition to mentioning it there should be step-by-step 
> information how to proceed with it to compile and install notmuch 
> (and all the prerequisities required) using stow. That should not 
> be too hard -- just log the installation steps. Maybe SomeBody(TM) 
> takes some effort there ?
> 
>> 
>> Justus
> 
> Tomi

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