Frequently Asked Question

When should I build from source instead of using a package?

Almost never, if a maintained package is available for your distribution. The package manager will install the same software with security updates, a clean uninstall path, automatic dependency handling, and integrity verification, and you can build from source any time the package falls behind by adding a third-party repository (PPA, COPR) or using a sandboxed format. Reach for ./configure && make && make install when no package exists, when you need a feature only available in the latest upstream code, when you are developing or patching the software yourself, or when you are working on an embedded image where every byte matters.

If you must, install into /usr/local (the prefix reserved for local additions) so your build does not collide with package-managed files in /usr. Better still, wrap your build in a .deb with checkinstall, an .rpm with rpmbuild, or a PKGBUILD on Arch, so the package manager still tracks what you have installed. The worst outcome is a machine where half the binaries are tracked and half are not; future upgrades will fight your manual installs in ways that are tedious to debug.