Correct place to extract/install user applications?

[Tim]

kebbelj at scripting-solutions.com:
> I have a packages folder in my home directory. The packages folder is
> where I save the tar and rpm files I want to preserve on CD so I don't
> have to re-download them later in case I have to reinstall my system.
> 
> I'm having a problem with my latest download, NVU. I extracted NVU
> inside my packages folder. It extracted ready to run with no make
> file. I don't think it belongs in the packages folder even though it
> runs fine from there. 

That depends a bit on what it is.  Whether it's a single executable, or
a collection of files.

A single executable could go in /usr/bin/, or /usr/local/bin/, or
(create parent directories as needed, if you don't already have that
structure).  Collections of files could go into their own sub-directory
(named after themselves) of /usr/share/ or /opt/, with a symlink to
their main executable file made in on of the bin sub-directories I
mentioned earlier.

See:  man hier
      Or, <http://www.pathname.com/fhs/>

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