Linux server blog

If you are installing ffmpeg from the SVN and getting the following error log after running ./configure:

./configure
Unable to create and execute files in /tmp.  Set the TMPDIR environment
variable to another directory and make sure that /tmp is not mounted
noexec.
Sanity test failed.
If you think configure made a mistake, make sure you are using the latest
version from SVN.  If the latest version fails, report the problem to the
ffmpeg-devel@mplayerhq.hu mailing list or IRC #ffmpeg on irc.freenode.net.
Include the log file “config.err” produced by configure as this will help
solving the problem.

This means that your /tmp directory has noexec flag and you need to disable it for a while.

Check your /etc/fstab

and locate /tmp

It probably shows something similar below:

LABEL=/tmp              /tmp                    ext3    defaults,noexec,nosuid        1 2

Remove noexec and it should be something like:

LABEL=/tmp              /tmp                    ext3    defaults,nosuid        1 2

Issue

umount /tmp && mount /tmp

And you are set, proceed with the installation of ffmpeg.

If you are  getting the following error after running umount and/or mount:

umount: /tmp: device is busy

Then some process is having a file handle open to /tmp directory. You will need to shutdown the daemon before issuing mount commands.

Filed under: Tips by Linux Admin