What is CMake equivalent of 'configure --prefix=DIR && make all install '?

cmake
Andrei picture Andrei · May 14, 2011 · Viewed 201k times · Source

I do cmake . && make all install. This works, but installs to /usr/local.

I need to install to a different prefix (for example, to /usr).

What is the cmake and make command line to install to /usr instead of /usr/local?

Answer

Marcus D. Hanwell picture Marcus D. Hanwell · May 14, 2011

As of CMake 3.15 you can run the --install version of CMake after building:

$ cmake --install /path/to/build --prefix /path/to/install [--config <CONFIG>]

Include --config if you're using a multi-config generator like Visual Studio.

In prior versions, you could execute the cmake_install.cmake script:

$ cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/path/to/install -P cmake_install.cmake

Finally, you can specify the install prefix at configure-time, and then build and install in one step as follows:

$ cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=/path/to/install /path/to/src
$ cmake --build . --target install

You would either add --config Release to the third command or -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release to the second command, depending on whether you were using a multi-config generator or a single-config generator, respectively.

The type (PATH) is not strictly necessary, but causes the Qt based cmake-gui to present the directory chooser dialog.

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