Difference in details between "make install" and "make altinstall"

installation, makefile

Solution

TLDR: `altinstall` skips creating the `python` link and the manual pages links, `install` will hide the system binaries and manual pages.

Let's take a look at the generated Makefile!

First, the install target:

install:         altinstall bininstall maninstall

It does everything `altinstall` does, along with `bininstall` and `maninstall`

Here's `bininstall`; it just creates the `python` and other symbolic links.

# Install the interpreter by creating a symlink chain:
#  $(PYTHON) -> python2 -> python$(VERSION))
# Also create equivalent chains for other installed files
bininstall:     altbininstall
        -if test -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(PYTHON) -o -h $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(PYTHON); \
        then rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(PYTHON); \
        else true; \
        fi
        (cd $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR); $(LN) -s python2$(EXE) $(PYTHON))
        -rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/python2$(EXE)
        (cd $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR); $(LN) -s python$(VERSION)$(EXE) python2$(EXE))
        ... (More links created)

And here's `maninstall`, it just creates "unversioned" links to the Python manual pages.

# Install the unversioned manual pages
maninstall:     altmaninstall
        -rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/python2.1
        (cd $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1; $(LN) -s python$(VERSION).1 python2.1)
        -rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/python.1
        (cd $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1; $(LN) -s python2.1 python.1)

Problem

Here is my case: I am using Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx). The system's default Python is v2.6.5, but I need Python v2.7. So I downloaded the source from python.org and tried to install it. The first time I installed it, I ran: ``` cd Python2.7.4 ./configure --prefix=/usr make su root make install ``` This installs Python 2.7 to my system. It will create a link, "python", in `/usr/bin` linking to `python2.7` also in `/usr/bin`. So when I type `>python`, the system will start Python 2.7.4 for me just like when I type `>python2.7`. But when I install this way: ``` cd Python2.7.4 ./configure --prefix=/usr make su root make altinstall ``` The link "python" in `/usr/bin` still exists and links to `python2.6` which is the default system version. Of course, I can remove it and create a new soft link linking to `python2.7`. What is the difference between the command "make install" and "make altinstall", except for the link in `/usr/bin`?

Original source

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