Linux installation options (root vs local)

Just looking for some advice really, I’ve always run the script that comes with renoise to install it system wide in /usr/ but I am starting to wonder about editing the script to install it in my /home/ instead. The main reason is that the built in renoise library is obviously not writable unless you’re running as root so you have to create your own duplicate library for anything you create. I know we have bookmarks for this kind of thing but I find it messy and it leads me to literally never using the stuff that comes with renoise (whether that’s a good thing or not). I would much prefer if all the instruments that come with renoise be merged with the ones I have created and that I just have one universal location for my sample library and instruments.

Is there any particular directory structure that should or shouldn’t be used when using it as a local installation?

I’m a bit concerned about updates with this system, I assume the renoise content just gets added to rather than changed as such when it gets released?

Just looking for some advice really, I’ve always run the script that comes with renoise to install it system wide in /usr/ but I am starting to wonder about editing the script to install it in my /home/ instead.

That what I’ve done. I replace references to /usr/ with $HOME (or something like that) and commented out the check that exists if you are not running as root (if [id -u -ne 0]; then
).

The main reason is that the built in renoise library is obviously not writable unless you’re running as root so you have to create your own duplicate library for anything you create. I know we have bookmarks for this kind of thing but I find it messy and it leads me to literally never using the stuff that comes with renoise (whether that’s a good thing or not). I would much prefer if all the instruments that come with renoise be merged with the ones I have created and that I just have one universal location for my sample library and instruments.

Is there any particular directory structure that should or shouldn’t be used when using it as a local installation?

I’m a bit concerned about updates with this system, I assume the renoise content just gets added to rather than changed as such when it gets released?

I haven’t had a problem with updates since I just alter the script the same way on each install. I have some things symlinked, I think, as well.

I did give it a try but couldn’t get it quite right and couldn’t make my WM’s run command see the binary (I’m sure I could solve this but I didn’t look in to it). Just seems like more work than perhaps it is worth.

Maybe moving the library to my home and symlinking it to the original location would be better? Again this makes me wonder about updates, would I need to diff them or ?

I did give it a try but couldn’t get it quite right and couldn’t make my WM’s run command see the binary (I’m sure I could solve this but I didn’t look in to it). Just seems like more work than perhaps it is worth.

Maybe moving the library to my home and symlinking it to the original location would be better? Again this makes me wonder about updates, would I need to diff them or ?

I had already had programs installed into ~/bin and ~/local/bin, and my $PATH was set to reflect this.

Your symlimking approach would work too. I think the instruments and samples are under a folder called Resources; if you add a symlink in that folder it should appear in the Renoise browser. I think I did something similar on Windows (where I just let Renoise install to the default location) since I have a directory of my own instruments. On Windows I used mklink; very handy.

Is there any benefit in installing at all vs just running from extracted archive in home, besides easier multi user action without access to on another’s home folder, a manpage, mimetypes, desktop link (I just link to renoise executables myself), Icons, and being warned when some loser hasn’t given realtime privileges to the user?

Or is the registered version different from the demo in these regards?

Also you can always use /usr/local and /opt for manually system-wide installed software.