seeking general guidelines for installing software on Linux

[Troy Engel]

Lorie Obal wrote:
> 
> I was going to install the SUN j2sdk and I wasn't sure what directory to
> put it in.  What are the rules of thumb for placement of different types
> of software installs for Linux? Do some of the packages automatically
> install to the correct directory?

Our accepted practice at work (we develop a lot of Java stuff) is to
untar/install/etc the JDK to a name-number directory in /usr/local/, and
symlink "java" to that.  I.e.:

  /usr/local/jdk1.3
  /usr/local/java -> /usr/local/jdk1.3

Then, in your /etc/profile do two things:

1) add "/usr/local/java/bin" to your PATH, and
2) add a variable JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/java (don't forget to 'export
JAVA_HOME')

The first is obvious, the second is because a lot of java tools and
lauchers look for "JAVA_HOME" to use your preferred JDK (instead of
using PATH).  Some randome apps look for JDK_HOME or JAVA_PATH
variations, but the majority use JAVA_HOME.

Then, by simply adjusting the /usr/local/java symlink you can install
and try out new JDK versions as needed.

-te

-- 
Troy Engel :: KeyID DF3D5207
Perl is just another tool in the Unix toolbox. Perl does one thing,
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