Command explanations --prefix=`pkg-config --variable=prefix ORBit-2.0`: Setting the prefix with this command instead of with GNOME_PREFIX will ensure that the prefix is consistent with the installation environment. --libexecdir=`pkg-config --variable=prefix ORBit-2.0`/sbin: This switch puts libexec files in $GNOME_PREFIX/sbin instead of $GNOME_PREFIX/libexec. --sysconfdir=/etc/gnome: This switch puts configuration files in /etc/gnome instead of $GNOME_PREFIX/etc. : This switch rebuilds the documentation during the make command.