as sugested by @MalkmusT in arangodb#1780 specify a relative path when installing files, so non-root users can install into their home directories.

dothebart · dothebart · commit 1df84976d7df · 2016-03-15T00:15:35.000+01:00
diff --git a/cmake/ArangoDBMacros.cmake b/cmake/ArangoDBMacros.cmake
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ set(CPACK_PROJECT_CONFIG_FILE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/CMakeCPackOptions.cmake")
 install(
   FILES ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Installation/debian/arangodb.init
   PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_EXECUTE GROUP_READ GROUP_EXECUTE WORLD_READ WORLD_EXECUTE
-  DESTINATION /etc/init.d
+  DESTINATION etc/init.d
   RENAME arangodb
   COMPONENT debian-extras
 )

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ set(CPACK_PROJECT_CONFIG_FILE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/CMakeCPackOptions.cmake")`
`396`	`396`	`install(`
`397`	`397`	`FILES ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Installation/debian/arangodb.init`
`398`	`398`	`PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ OWNER_EXECUTE GROUP_READ GROUP_EXECUTE WORLD_READ WORLD_EXECUTE`
`399`		`- DESTINATION /etc/init.d`
	`399`	`+ DESTINATION etc/init.d`
`400`	`400`	`RENAME arangodb`
`401`	`401`	`COMPONENT debian-extras`
`402`	`402`	`)`