When I install a software from its binary package using rpm or yum, I can later query for meta-information (rpm -qi PACKAGE
, rpm -ql PACKAGE
, ...) and can uninstall it (rpm -e PACKAGE
).
But with the software that I build and install from its sources, I have to keep hanging on to the build directory forever to later be able to uninstall it, since removing the build directory would make it impossible for me to later uninstall the software! Even if you could hold on to the build directory forever, querying for meta-information isn't easy either, unless you know the intricacies of make files.
Question: Is there any way to, sort of, 'register' the binaries being installed (which is usually during the make install
step for most software packages) with the rpm/yum database, to allow easy uninstall later and for meta-information querying?
checkinstall
just yet, but from the description of it, looks like this is exactly what I was looking for. Can you copy-paste your comment as an answer, so that I could mark it as final? Thanks. +1.