(autoconf.info.gz) Making configure Scripts

(autoconf.info.gz) The GNU Build System

 
 Making `configure' Scripts
 **************************
 
    The configuration scripts that Autoconf produces are by convention
 called `configure'.  When run, `configure' creates several files,
 replacing configuration parameters in them with appropriate values.
 The files that `configure' creates are:
 
    - one or more `Makefile' files, usually one in each subdirectory of
      the package ( Makefile Substitutions);
 
    - optionally, a C header file, the name of which is configurable,
      containing `#define' directives ( Configuration Headers);
 
    - a shell script called `config.status' that, when run, will recreate
      the files listed above ( config.status Invocation);
 
    - an optional shell script normally called `config.cache' (created
      when using `configure --config-cache') that saves the results of
      running many of the tests ( Cache Files);
 
    - a file called `config.log' containing any messages produced by
      compilers, to help debugging if `configure' makes a mistake.
 
    To create a `configure' script with Autoconf, you need to write an
 Autoconf input file `configure.ac' (or `configure.in') and run
 `autoconf' on it.  If you write your own feature tests to supplement
 those that come with Autoconf, you might also write files called
 `aclocal.m4' and `acsite.m4'.  If you use a C header file to contain
 `#define' directives, you might also run `autoheader', and you will
 distribute the generated file `config.h.in' with the package.
 
    Here is a diagram showing how the files that can be used in
 configuration are produced.  Programs that are executed are suffixed by
 `*'.  Optional files are enclosed in square brackets (`[]').
 `autoconf' and `autoheader' also read the installed Autoconf macro
 files (by reading `autoconf.m4').
 
 Files used in preparing a software package for distribution:
      your source files --> [autoscan*] --> [configure.scan] --> configure.ac
      
      configure.ac --.
                     |   .------> autoconf* -----> configure
      [aclocal.m4] --+---+
                     |   `-----> [autoheader*] --> [config.h.in]
      [acsite.m4] ---'
      
      Makefile.in -------------------------------> Makefile.in
 
 Files used in configuring a software package:
                             .-------------> [config.cache]
      configure* ------------+-------------> config.log
                             |
      [config.h.in] -.       v            .-> [config.h] -.
                     +--> config.status* -+               +--> make*
      Makefile.in ---'                    `-> Makefile ---'

 
* Writing configure.ac        What to put in an Autoconf input file
* autoscan Invocation         Semi-automatic `configure.ac' writing
* ifnames Invocation          Listing the conditionals in source code
* autoconf Invocation         How to create configuration scripts
* autoreconf Invocation       Remaking multiple `configure' scripts

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