Here is how I installed ROOT 5.17 on Linux (Slackware),
and on Slackware 10.2; it takes just one or two minutes.
ROOT (and CINT) is installed under /usr/local/root.

   # cd /usr/local
   # wget http://wwwacs.gantep.edu.tr/guides/programming/root/root_v5.17.06.Linux.slc4.gcc3.4.tar.gz
     (or from root.cern.ch: wget --passive-ftp ftp://root.cern.ch/root/root_v5.17.06.Linux.slc4.gcc3.4.tar.gz)
   # tar xzf root_v5.17.06.Linux.slc4.gcc3.4.tar.gz
   # edit /etc/profile.d/root.sh (new file)
   ------------------------------------------------------
   export ROOTSYS=/usr/local/root
   export PATH=$ROOTSYS/bin:$PATH
   export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ROOTSYS/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
   ------------------------------------------------------
   # chmod 755 /etc/profile.d/root.sh
   # . /etc/profile.d/root.sh
   And make the test programs
   # cd root/test
   # make

That's all
To run ROOT type "root"
You can also run CINT independently: type "cint"

08/10/2005
10/12/2007