Newbie guide to compiling software on linux

One of the big challenges of linux that newbies face is compiling software. Generally, if you run a binary based distribution, you should try to avoid compiling software. Compiling software on a binary distribution has a couple of downsides. First, the software is not managed by the distribution package manager, and secondly, it's hard and generally unnecessary - you should be able to find a package for your distribution somewhere. However, if you do need to compile software - say you need a bleeding edge version of something, or there is no compatible package for your distribution - this howto could help you to compile the software successfully.

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