diff --git a/chapter05/gettext-inst.xml b/chapter05/gettext-inst.xml
index c2fcf73c3..4aa9bae58 100644
--- a/chapter05/gettext-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/gettext-inst.xml
@@ -3,11 +3,22 @@
Installation of Gettext
-./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Gettext to be compiled:
+./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+Compile the programs:
+
+make
+
+Check that the programs work correctly (this takes so long you can go
+for a walk):
+
+make check
+
+Then install them and their documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/grep-inst.xml b/chapter05/grep-inst.xml
index b65737c1c..2364146a7 100644
--- a/chapter05/grep-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/grep-inst.xml
@@ -3,12 +3,22 @@
Installation of Grep
-./configure --prefix=/stage1 \
- --disable-perl-regexp --with-included-regex
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Grep to be compiled:
+./configure --prefix=/stage1 \
+ --disable-perl-regexp --with-included-regex
+
+Compile the programs:
+
+make
+
+Check that the programs work correctly:
+
+make check
+
+Then install them and their documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/make-inst.xml b/chapter05/make-inst.xml
index 2bd0be489..61b64de51 100644
--- a/chapter05/make-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/make-inst.xml
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@
Installation of Make
-./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Make to be compiled:
+
+./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+Compile the program:
+
+make
+
+Test the program:
+
+make check
+
+Then install it and its documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/ncurses-inst.xml b/chapter05/ncurses-inst.xml
index 7418a7f3b..d7bcb1a66 100644
--- a/chapter05/ncurses-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/ncurses-inst.xml
@@ -3,12 +3,31 @@
Installation of Ncurses
+Fix two minor things:
+
patch -Np1 -i ../ncurses-&ncurses-version;-etip-2.patch
-patch -Np1 -i ../ncurses-&ncurses-version;-vsscanf.patch
-./configure --prefix=/stage1 --with-shared --without-debug \
- --without-ada
-make
-make install
-chmod 755 /stage1/lib/*.5.3
+patch -Np1 -i ../ncurses-&ncurses-version;-vsscanf.patch
+
+The first patch corrects the etip.h header file, and
+the second patch prevents some compiler warnings being issued on the use of
+deprecated headers.
+
+Now prepare Ncurses to be compiled:
+
+./configure --prefix=/stage1 --with-shared \
+ --without-debug --without-ada
+
+Compile the programs and libraries:
+
+make
+
+Then install them and their documentation:
+
+make install
+
+And make some of the libraries executable:
+
+chmod 755 /stage1/lib/*.5.3
+
diff --git a/chapter05/patch-inst.xml b/chapter05/patch-inst.xml
index ba9302d2e..bdc9f9fb8 100644
--- a/chapter05/patch-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/patch-inst.xml
@@ -3,10 +3,20 @@
Installation of Patch
-CPPFLAGS=-D_GNU_SOURCE ./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make install
+Prepare Patch to be compiled:
+CPPFLAGS=-D_GNU_SOURCE ./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+The preprocessor flag -D_GNU_SOURCE is only needed
+on the PowerPC platform. On other architectures you can leave it out.
+
+Compile the program:
+
+make
+
+Then install it and its documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/sed-inst.xml b/chapter05/sed-inst.xml
index d17835336..79ccf256c 100644
--- a/chapter05/sed-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/sed-inst.xml
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@
Installation of Sed
-./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Sed to be compiled:
+
+./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+Compile the program:
+
+make
+
+Test the program:
+
+make check
+
+Then install it and its documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/tar-inst.xml b/chapter05/tar-inst.xml
index 9c94af6df..3a17903e7 100644
--- a/chapter05/tar-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/tar-inst.xml
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@
Installation of Tar
-./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Tar to be compiled:
+
+./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+Compile the programs:
+
+make
+
+Check that the programs work correctly:
+
+make check
+
+Then install them and their documentation:
+
+make install
diff --git a/chapter05/texinfo-inst.xml b/chapter05/texinfo-inst.xml
index c2d27a5bf..0249cd361 100644
--- a/chapter05/texinfo-inst.xml
+++ b/chapter05/texinfo-inst.xml
@@ -3,11 +3,21 @@
Installation of Texinfo
-./configure --prefix=/stage1
-make
-make check
-make install
+Prepare Texinfo to be compiled:
+./configure --prefix=/stage1
+
+Compile the programs:
+
+make
+
+Check that the programs work correctly:
+
+make check
+
+Then install them and their documentation:
+
+make install