Compiling from Source

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Compiling from Source

In this hands-on lab, we will install software from source code on a CentOS7 system. Installing from the source code gives us an appreciation of using package managers such as dpkg and rpm, but it's also good experience to be able to install from source if necessary.

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Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 16, 2025

Duration

45m

Challenge

Locate and Extract the Source File Archive
1. The source file archive has been placed in the /home/cloud_user directory and must be extracted prior to use. Use the following command to extract the archived .tar file in /home/cloud_user :
  tar xzf htop-2.2.0.tar.gz
  
  This extracts the archive into the newly created folder htop-2.2.0 within /home/cloud_user.
Challenge

Run the Configure Script to Prepare the Source for Installation
1. Change to the htop source directory.
```
cd htop-2.2.0
```
1. Run the configuration script to prepare the source.
```
./configure
```
Challenge

Compile the Source Code into Usable Binaries
1. Compile the source code.
```
make
```
This command will display output to the screen as it compiles the source code into binaries.
Challenge

Install the Binaries
1. Once the source code has compiled, run the following command to install the resulting binaries on the system:
```
sudo make install
```
Challenge

Run the `htop` Utility to Verify That Installation Was Successful
1. When the binaries are installed, execute the htop command to verify that the installation was successful.
```
htop
```
Challenge

Remove the Installation
1. Removing the installation is similar to installation. From the source directory /home/cloud_user/htop-2.2.0, execute the following command:
```
sudo make uninstall
```

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