"One of the big challenges of linux that newbies face is compiling software. Generally, if you run a binary based distribution, you should try to avoid compiling software. Compiling software on a binary distribution has a couple of downsides. First, the software is not managed by the distribution package manager, and secondly, it's hard and generally unnecessary--you should be able to find a package for your distribution somewhere. However, if you do need to compile software--say you need a bleeding edge version of something, or there is no compatible package for your distribution--this howto could help you to compile the software successfully..."
