[Dovecot] Can I install in the following fashion?

[Stewart Dean]

if you run configure --help, you will see this (and more):
> Installation directories:
>   --prefix=PREFIX         install architecture-independent files in PREFIX
> 			  [/usr/local]
>   --exec-prefix=EPREFIX   install architecture-dependent files in EPREFIX
> 			  [PREFIX]
>
> By default, `make install' will install all the files in
> `/usr/local/bin', `/usr/local/lib' etc.  You can specify
> an installation prefix other than `/usr/local' using `--prefix',
> for instance `--prefix=$HOME'.
>
> For better control, use the options below.
>
> Fine tuning of the installation directories:
>   --bindir=DIR           user executables [EPREFIX/bin]
>   --sbindir=DIR          system admin executables [EPREFIX/sbin]
>   --libexecdir=DIR       program executables [EPREFIX/libexec]
>   --datadir=DIR          read-only architecture-independent data [PREFIX/share]
>   --sysconfdir=DIR       read-only single-machine data [PREFIX/etc]
>   --sharedstatedir=DIR   modifiable architecture-independent data [PREFIX/com]
>   --localstatedir=DIR    modifiable single-machine data [PREFIX/var]
>   --libdir=DIR           object code libraries [EPREFIX/lib]
>   --includedir=DIR       C header files [PREFIX/include]
>   --oldincludedir=DIR    C header files for non-gcc [/usr/include]
>   --infodir=DIR          info documentation [PREFIX/info]
>   --mandir=DIR           man documentation [PREFIX/man]
I see now I missed something so I will redefine my request. If I invoke
configure with:
--prefix=/usr/local/dovecot-bld/<timestamp>
--eprefix=/usr/local/dovecot-bld/<timestamp>
where /usr/local/dovecot-bld/<timestamp> is a directory
Q1: Will I have everything in that one directory so that by tar'ing and
untar'ing that one directory I can tar up everything necessary to run
dovecot on another machine with the same OSlevel/patches/OpenSSL. Will
dovecot be able to reference everything it needs? I notice that

--oldincludedir=DIR    C header files for non-gcc [/usr/include]

will not be there. Will that be a problem?
Q2: Will dovecot not be able to find system resources it needs?

Tar'ing up a directory is doable. RPM'ing hundreds of files scattered
here and there, perhaps referenced by others, perhaps with new
additions/deletions you don't know about sounds like an heroic task.
Does anybody see how simple it is to upgrade UWImap with its one binary?

Lior Okman wrote:
> Looking at the debianized version, the bulk of the files are placed in
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> or under /usr/lib/dovecot, with all of the configuration files in
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> /etc/dovecot, and relevant binaries under /usr/bin and /usr/sbin.
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> However, reading from the comment in the begining of the default
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> dovecot.conf file, you can probably compile your own version of
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> dovecot where you specify the following parameters to configure:
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> "--prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --localstatedir=/var
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> --with-ssldir=/etc/ssl".
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> Just make sure to replace all the paths with where you want to install
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> this version of dovecot.
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> Lior
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> On 3/7/06, Stewart Dean <sdean at bard.edu> wrote:
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>> Hmmm, hadn't thought of RPM.  But I would like a direct answer to my
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>> question, which was:  Can I just tar up everything in a dovecot-only
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>> prefix directory (defined in the invocation of configure) when the make
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>> and make install is done, and then untar/extract it in a directory of
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>> the same name over on another machine with the same OS, patches and
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>> OpenSSL?  Are there Dovecot dependencies outside prefix directory.
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>> My OS is AIXV5.3 maintenance/tech level 4.  There is no distro RPMs for
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>> same, so I am building it myself.
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>> Lior wrote:
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>>> The problem you are describing is solved with tools like RPM and DEB.
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>>> You can install/remove an entire package with a single command, you
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>>> can verify the installation with a single command, you can safetly
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>>> upgrade with a single command, and safetly revert to an older version
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>>> with a single command.
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>>> These tools allow you to find out exactly which file belongs to what
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>>> package, and they prevent conflicting files from two different
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>>> packages from being installed. Not to mention (almost) automatic (at
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>>> least on debian) dependency resolving for packages.
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>>> If you're using Debian, you can just "apt-get install dovecot-imap
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>>> dovecot-pop", and have the dpkg handle all of the issues you
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>>> mentioned. If you're using an RPM based distro- try yum or apt-rpm.
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>>> Lior
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>> Timothy White wrote:
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>>>> If you're using Debian, you can just "apt-get install dovecot-imap
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>>>> dovecot-pop", and have the dpkg handle all of the issues you
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>>>> mentioned. If you're using an RPM based distro- try yum or apt-rpm.
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>>> And there is nothing stopping you making a deb package, from a newer
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>>> version of dovecot, that Debian has, AND, duplicating the server, so
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>>> you can do a test upgrade... Of course, with any upgrade, someone will
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>>> notice something ;-)
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>>> Tim
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>>> --
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>>> Linux Counter user #273956
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>> --
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>> ====
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>> Stewart Dean, Unix System Admin, Henderson Computer Resources
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>> Center of Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York  12504
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>> sdean at bard.edu  voice: 845-758-7475, fax: 845-758-7035
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-- 
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Stewart Dean, Unix System Admin, Henderson Computer Resources
Center of Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York  12504
sdean at bard.edu  voice: 845-758-7475, fax: 845-758-7035