If you aren't root, then the common procedure for installing a library is to create a subdirectory in your home directory in which to install packages. The key is the –prefix addition to the ./configure command.
export MY_LIBS = myroot #choose a directory name to be created in your home directory.
mkdir $HOME/$MY_LIBS
# From Apophenia's package directory:
./configure --prefix $HOME/$MY_LIBS
make
make install #Now you don't have to be root.
# Adjust your paths so the compiler and the OS can find the library.
# These are environment variables, and they are usually set in the
# shell's startup files. I assume you are using bash here.
echo "export PATH=$HOME/$MY_LIBS/include:\$PATH" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "export CPATH=$HOME/$MY_LIBS/include:\$CPATH" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "export LIBRARY_PATH=$HOME/$MY_LIBS:\$LIBRARY_PATH" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOME/$MY_LIBS:\$LD_LIBRARY_PATH" >> ~/.bashrc
Once you have created this local root directory, you can use it to install as many new libraries as desired, and your paths will already be set up to find them.
