Building from Source and Using Snap/Flatpak
Go beyond the system package manager: compile software from source when no package exists, and use universal package formats like Snap and Flatpak to install modern applications independently of your distro's repositories.
When the Package Manager Is Not Enough
APT and YUM cover most needs, but sometimes a tool is not packaged, is too old in the repos, or you need a specific version. In those cases you have two options:
- Compile the software from source
- Use a universal package format like Snap or Flatpak
This lesson covers both.
Getting Build Tools Ready
Compiling needs a toolchain: a compiler, make, and development libraries. On Debian/Ubuntu the build-essential meta-package pulls in the basics.
sudo apt install build-essential
# RHEL/Fedora:
sudo dnf groupinstall 'Development Tools'All lessons in this course
- APT and YUM Package Managers
- Installing and Updating Software
- Managing Software Repositories
- Building from Source and Using Snap/Flatpak