Hi Josh,
You want to use some of the TCE or TCZ packages from the TinyCore software repository? Run 'appbrowser' and they will be downloaded. The TCE files are automatically unpacked to /usr/local, the TCZ files are mounted, see the "Core Concepts' page.
Is this what you mean? Or do you want to download your own source and compile/install it to /home/tc? Then use appbrowser to install the 'compiletc' extension first, then you can compile and install what you want.
I hope that someone some day will add some pictures to the "Core Concepts" page to make it clearer what installation options we have, especially for those people who learn with their eyes..
Ciao,
Friedl