Take the 2-minute tour ×

here https://live.gnome.org/WebKitGtk/ it says to

Run the following commands to configure and build WebKit (choosing an appropriate prefix):

./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr

but I am not sure what they mean by 'appropriate prefix'. Can anyone offer a clue?

share|improve this question
add comment

1 Answer

Prefix is a directory under which the compiled application is going to be installed. I'd use something like /opt/WebKitGtk to be sure it does not override anything. Installing in /usr is definitely not a good idea.

Also note I corrected a typo in your command example - make should be a separate command.

Good luck :)

share|improve this answer
thanks! I will give it a try –  Magpie Jul 18 '12 at 3:59
wait. One more thing: Why did you choose opt? I was thinking of putting it in home/magpie. would that work for my various ends? –  Magpie Jul 18 '12 at 4:10
Yes, your home dir is fine too, if you're the only user on that system who will be using it. This is even better as it won't require superadmin privileges to install –  Sergey Jul 18 '12 at 4:29
add comment

Your Answer


