The ideal way to install SpamAssassin is from source. SpamAssassin is continuously being improved and new versions are released frequently. Installing from source is the fastest way to get the latest (and best) version of SpamAssassin. Installing from source is not complicated or difficult. The following instructions describe how to install SpamAssassin from source using the Perl CPAN module or build it using make
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If a packaged Linux distribution (such as RedHat or SuSE) or a UNIX system (such as AIX or HP/UX) is used, administrators may be accustomed to installing only software provided by the manufacturer or distributor. While many manufacturers provide packaged installations of SpamAssassin, they are often old versions and will not contain the latest improvements. Old versions of SpamAssassin will not be as effective at blocking spam as the latest version.
Pre-packaged versions of SpamAssassin have the following advantages over installing from source...