This article attempts to explain the basics of building from source: What “source code” is, what a compiler does, and the functions of libraries, make and ./configure.
Source code, binaries, and compilation
When a programmer writes a program, they will typically write it in a language like C, C++ or Java. These, like most programming languages, are a set of instructions for a computer, written in a “longhand” form which resembles a cross between natural language (“while <this is true>, do <that>”) and mathematical notation. This is known as the source code. Some languages, like Perl, Python and [continued…]