If you've worked with multiple operating systems such as the Mac OS or Windows along with Unix, then you're aware that software installation on a Unix system — Solaris, Linux, Darwin, and so on — isn't necessarily as easy a task as it is on some of the other systems. The process can be difficult if you're installing open source code that you download from the Internet; many times open source code isn't packaged for ease in installation.
I've worked with Unix for years but still look at the process of installing a new piece of software as one would look at climbing a mountain: be prepared, be brave, and don't look back.
— SP