# local install vs install for CPack; absolute vs relative path

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/local-install-vs-install-for-cpack-absolute-vs-relative-path/623
**Category:** Usage
**Created:** [February 12, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/local-install-vs-install-for-cpack-absolute-vs-relative-path/623 "2020-02-12T17:33:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jwuttke](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9dc877/32.png) [@jwuttke](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/jwuttke)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/local-install-vs-install-for-cpack-absolute-vs-relative-path/623/1 "2020-02-12T17:33:35Z")

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CPack installer generators (at least some of them) forbid absolute paths.

Of course I can adjust for that - but how then ensure that `make install` still does the local installation to the right absolute location?

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### Author: ![jwuttke](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9dc877/32.png) [@jwuttke](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/jwuttke)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/local-install-vs-install-for-cpack-absolute-vs-relative-path/623/2 "2020-02-12T17:40:41Z")

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Perhaps the answer is simple: Always use relative paths in `install` commands. When calling `make install`, `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` will be prepended automatically.