Prepackaged Binary vs. Locally Compiled Source

[RyuuNoSenshi]

Since my switch to Linux I've become an even greater advocate for Open Source. The reason being is that I've had less trouble with compiling and installing from source than I've had with binaries(in either windows or linux). If something goes wrong with my compile I'm free to track down the source of the problem and fix it. With prepackaged binaries it's a lot harder to fix(windows binary packages especially). I can't even begin to count the number of times a window's binary package would screw up(in the middle of an install even!) and I'd be left looking for a solution(sometimes none could be found). Compiling from source also allows for the program to run faster because the compiled optimizes the code to run on the current hardware.

Binaries have some saving graces. One being the simpleness of the install(for people without the knowledge on how to troubleshoot complex problems). Binaries also don't need header files(such as the kernel source) in order to be installed.

But I personally prefer to know EXACTLY what's being installed on my system. With binary packages you only have the developer's word that he didn't give you a virus or a program that will erase your hard drive. With source code on the other hand such a thing would be impossible to hide. Source code also gives you the chance to make improvements in your software. Open Source in particular gives you the safty of the GNU license(which is what most Open Source is released under). As well as the freedom to base new programs off of the current code.

Though binaries are simple to install, it doesn't seem worth it in the end. Open Source allows the program the bloom and mature quickly through contribution from the community. Closed source binary packages don't grow nearly as quickly and get only bug reports from the community(it's up to the developers to fix those bugs). I'll always take source over binary. Ohh and source code is easy to port from platform to platform, but binaries can't be.

[Bruce]

Binaries are good as long as they are regulated. Being a debian user I use binaries all the time if they come from the official debian mirror, because to be there they must have all of their dependancies, must conform to debian standard, must have an open source license, and mustnt break anything.

If I am downloading from other sources then I would probably choose source, unless it was something with a large number of dependancies.

[cpo]

Imho is the BSD port system a good way in the middle between these two alternatives.

You have a huge tree with informations about the "ports" (that would be your precompiled packages if they where precompiled *g*)

But in each directory you can build the port by yourself.

If the build was successfull you can install a port and it is registrered in the package database, so that you can uninstall it easily.

The whole is dependency-aware so you don't break your system by installing a port.
And it's ultra-easy if you use portinstall (it's in the ports *g*)

An example:

you want to intall xchat *g*

cd /usr/ports/xchat && make install distclean

or portinstall xchat

There is also a linux-distribution that uses a similar mechanism, but i don't remember the name ^^''''
I can look it up if somebody is interested (:

cpo

[Webphisher]

The only time I dont like compiling the source code myself, is in the case like when I was first learning linux, and i got tossed in and told learn to swim. I tried building QT, and it took me hours of fixing the problems with the build code. Only saving grace I had was basic coding skills back then.

But I myself still would rather build and install on my own terms. More fun than binaries

[elturcin]

cpo, Gentoo linux.

[Martin Blank]

There are reasons to avoid compiling yourself, depending on what you're doing. If you're using something like OpenBSD, or installing security software, it may well be a better idea to use the binaries because they have been through a more thorough security vetting process than you're likely to be able to go through on your own. They will have been built on systems that may be more demonstrably secure than your own, and using compilers with appropriate options to mimimize the chances of things like buffer overflows getting in.