GNU Stow

GNU Stow: Symlink Manager

GNU Stow is a symlink manager that helps organize software installed from source into different directories and symlink them into a common location for easy access. It keeps different versions in their own self-contained trees without having to recompile any binaries.

What is GNU Stow?

GNU Stow is a free, open-source symlink manager software that helps organize programs installed from source code into separate directories, while symlinking their binaries into standard locations in the file system hierarchy. This allows multiple versions of the same software to coexist in separate locations, without interfering with each other.

Some key features and benefits of GNU Stow include:

• Keeps different versions of software in their own self-contained directories or "stow-away" folders, avoiding clutter in /usr/local
• Symlinks binaries, man pages, info files, etc. into standard locations like /usr/local/bin without having to recompile anything
• Easy to install new versions in parallel and switch between them by manipulating the symlinks
• Helps maintain a clean filesystem hierarchy and organization for software installed from source
• Lightweight and requires practically no extra disk space
• Works well in combination with package managers that handle software installed from binaries

Overall, GNU Stow is a useful utility for Linux/Unix systems to organize bespoke software builds from source in a structured and non-intrusive manner, while providing a consistent view of the file system for the user.

GNU Stow Features

Official Links