Beginning Unix

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Installing Software from Source Code

Although Unix systems come with a variety of software preinstalled or available through their packaging systems, one of the many benefits of Unix is that you can build and install other software from the original source code. In fact, most software for Unix systems is provided only in original source code form, so you definitely want to know what to do with it.

This chapter explores finding and retrieving software, using common build tools, building and installing software, and troubleshooting. It examines make, the GNU build system, GCC, and the basics of package management. To augment your grasp of these topics, you'll install several programs from source code.

To build software from source, Mac OS X users must have the Xcode Tools installed on their system. If the computer had Mac OS X 10.3 Panther installed at the factory, it will have an installer located at /Applications/Installers/Developer Tools/. If the installer is not present on your system, you can download the software from Apple. Information on the software, including downloading instructions, is available at http://developer.apple.com/tools/download/. To download Xcode Tools from Apple, you will need to register for a free account at Apple Developer Connection. Xcode Tools includes make, GCC, and other tools and utilities outlined in this chapter. The current version of Xcode Tools is 1.5.

Understanding Source Code

Source code is the original data used to create software. ...