For the most part, configuring, building, and installing open-source software is almost exactly the same.
That being said, you most likely will run into dependancies, and that can cause headaches.
The best way to install open-source software is to use a package manager, like MacPorts. There's also Homebrew, which I haven't tried, and Fink, which I don't know if it supports 64-bit builds in most of their packages.