Building Nmap's source code
Throughout this book, you will use all the tools from the Nmap project, so it is a good idea to start by installing the latest versions now. We will not work with pre-built binaries as mere mortals but build them from the latest source code available in the official repository. This recipe will show how to download the latest copy of the source code from the development repositories and compile and install Nmap and related tools in your Unix-based system.
We always prefer working with the very latest snapshot of the repository because precompiled packages take time to prepare and we will often miss important patches or new NSE scripts. The following recipe will show the process of downloading the source code and configuring, building, installing, and maintaining an up-to-date copy of the Nmap project in your arsenal.
Getting ready
Before continuing, you need to have installed the Subversion client. Unix-based platforms come with a command-line...