Thanks, that is a good suggestion. And, when I do it again, I might well consider it. Two points, however --
Why on earth did my OS install tinker with /usr/local/ as I was under the impression that that location was for stuff that I, the user, would install?
Installing stuff under /usr/local/ helps with subsequent and other installs that expect to find shared libraries and stuff in that location via autoconf, as I understand. If I install under my home dir or some other location, I will have to custom tailor all my installations of all other software that might depend on each other.
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when small people start casting long shadows, it is time to go to bed