PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin:/bin ./configure -default: The paths to some programs get written into man's files. Unfortunately, the configure script picks the last location in PATH rather than the first where a program is found. By appending /usr/bin:/bin to PATH for the ./configure command, we make sure that man doesn't use the /static versions of our programs. patch -Np1 -i ../man-&man-patch-version;.patch: This patch comments out one of the files in the man.conf file (MANPATH /usr/man) because it will create redundant results when using programs like whatis. It also adds the -R option to the PAGER variable so man pages are displayed properly.