Repos or compile from source?

[DealerMan]

How often do any of you install software from source instead of using available repos? Is there any meaningful benefit (stability, etc)? Just curious.

[67GTA]

I rarely install from source unless there is something I can't get from the repos, or have to get a newer version. The only downside is that once you install from source (assuming you didn't download malicious software) is that it will not get updates. You will have to manually update everything not installed from the repos.

[deadguy]

I have installed from source in the past when I used redhat, but
nowadays I can usually find everything I need either in the repos
or find a deb package to install. it's soo much easier!!

[blu3ness]

I compile from source for the packages that needs to be customized, i.e. Emacs with X-font support
but generally repos packages are very good.

[jdhore]

My opinion in order of How much i like them (like the first the most, the last the least):

Repos-.debs-Source-Just an executable (no compiling)

The repos are great because of automatic updates, debs are OK too because it's just one step to get them installed too, but the downside is automatic updates...I enjoy compiling, but no automatic updates, it sometimes takes a while, you usually have to install a few -dev packages from apt for it to work and basically, i only do it when something i want isn't in the default repos or a 3rd party repo or the latest version (not in the repos) has some feature i REALLY, REALLY want. As for just an executable...You can't set any options, it doesn't really tell you what dependencies it requires, you've got to more it into a */bin directory manually, it doesn't come with much documentation and overall...not fun to use.

[civint]

I generally download from repos, or from downloaded .debs for times sake, as well as the fact that I rareley have all the required software for compiling from source. Also, since we use ubuntu based repos, and I'm not really a major user of apps like emacs, so I don't need the customization offered by source compiling (if I wanted that I would have installed slackware or Gentoo.....)

[DealerMan]

Excellent responses, thanks everyone. This is helping me to actually understand how & why Linux works the way it does.

[spinstate]

I think compiling from source is mostly useful for applications that are CPU intensive like video encoding, 3d rendering etc.. in these cases compiling optimized builds might help squeeze out some extra performance.

[jdhore]

I think compiling from source is mostly useful for applications that are CPU intensive like video encoding, 3d rendering etc.. in these cases compiling optimized builds might help squeeze out some extra performance.

This may be true, but all the high-end graphical/video/3D apps in the repos are already built for 686 so you're not going to squeeze much more performance out of it by specifically compiling for your processor type. 386/486-686 is a pretty big move, but 686-Prescott or Northwood or one of the other ones isn't.