Where to put new program

[Swamp Rat]

I have installed Image Scan! for Linux in the past for use with my Epson scanner, but in a different distro, and want to install it on one of my LL5 computers, since it gives me many more options than the included Document Scanner. Always before this, as well as I can recall, the tar.gz file extracted everything without my giving it any input as to where to put things. This time, the default location shows as my Downloads folder, where the tar.gz file is located. That's NOT where I want things put. But where should I install it?

I could put it in /Home, but I think somewhere in / would be tidier, if the program would work there and show up in my Graphics menu. Would /usr be a good place? Or is somewhere else in / better? Obviously, the location for the files may (almost) be irrelevent, but I'd prefer to install it where it would be best.

I had hoped that after 7 1/2 years of using Linux, I would no longer have any questions, but Reality let me know otherwise.  :016:

Thanks in advance for any advice.  :bow

[trinidad]

Putting it in /home/yourusername/nameanewfolderyourself/ is OK, but usually you can move it to /opt/ and extract it there. If it comes with an installer in the zip file there should be a read me file explaining the intended way the devs want you to do it. I would extract it in /opt/ or /home/yourusername/downloads/ and look for a read me file. 

TC 

[Swamp Rat]

First, thank you, [member=5916]trinidad[/member] for the sugestion and advice. You are one of the most helpful members here.

It's been a few days since I posted my query, but pre-winter home and vehicle maintenance had to take priority.

If I can figure out how, I will mark this thread as "Abandoned," since that's what, in effect, I have done. Although I was aware of them, I had never before encountered a tarball file, which is what I received for the installation. Turned out that there was a familiar .deb file within the tar.gz file. When I attempted to install that program, it did an incomplete installation, which I deleeted, since it wouldn't accomplish anything good for me.

After some online research, I ended up using good old Synaptic to intall Xsane, and that is what I am using for now.