Autoconf Reference Guide

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Autoconf

This manual is for GNU Autoconf (version 2.60, 23 June 2006), a package for creating scripts to configure source code packages using templates and an M4 macro package.

Copyright � 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being “A GNU Manual,” and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License.”
(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: “You have freedom to copy and modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.”

Introduction: Autoconf's purpose, strengths, and weaknesses
The GNU Build System: A set of tools for portable software packages
Making configure Scripts: How to organize and produce Autoconf scripts
Setup: Initialization and output
Existing Tests: Macros that check for particular features
Writing Tests: How to write new feature checks
Results: What to do with results from feature checks
Programming in M4: Layers on top of which Autoconf is written
Writing Autoconf Macros: Adding new macros to Autoconf
Portable Shell: Shell script portability pitfalls
Portable Make: Makefile portability pitfalls
Portable C and C++: C and C++ portability pitfalls
Manual Configuration: Selecting features that can't be guessed
Site Configuration: Local defaults for configure
Running configure Scripts: How to use the Autoconf output
config.status Invocation: Recreating a configuration
Obsolete Constructs: Kept for backward compatibility
Using Autotest: Creating portable test suites
FAQ: Frequent Autoconf Questions, with answers
History: History of Autoconf
Copying This Manual: How to make copies of this manual
Indices: Indices of symbols, concepts, etc.

--- The Detailed Node Listing ---

The GNU Build System

Making configure Scripts

Writing configure.ac

Initialization and Output Files

Initializing configure: Option processing etc.
Notices: Copyright, version numbers in configure
Input: Where Autoconf should find files
Output: Outputting results from the configuration
Configuration Actions: Preparing the output based on results
Configuration Files: Creating output files
Makefile Substitutions: Using output variables in makefiles
Configuration Headers: Creating a configuration header file
Configuration Commands: Running arbitrary instantiation commands
Configuration Links: Links depending on the configuration
Subdirectories: Configuring independent packages together
Default Prefix: Changing the default installation prefix

Substitutions in Makefiles

Configuration Header Files

Existing Tests

Common Behavior: Macros' standard schemes
Alternative Programs: Selecting between alternative programs
Files: Checking for the existence of files
Libraries: Library archives that might be missing
Library Functions: C library functions that might be missing
Header Files: Header files that might be missing
Declarations: Declarations that may be missing
Structures: Structures or members that might be missing
Types: Types that might be missing
Compilers and Preprocessors: Checking for compiling programs
System Services: Operating system services
Posix Variants: Special kludges for specific Posix variants
Erlang Libraries: Checking for the existence of Erlang libraries

Common Behavior

Alternative Programs

Library Functions

Header Files

Declarations

Structures

Types

Compilers and Preprocessors

Writing Tests

Language Choice: Selecting which language to use for testing
Writing Test Programs: Forging source files for compilers
Running the Preprocessor: Detecting preprocessor symbols
Running the Compiler: Detecting language or header features
Running the Linker: Detecting library features
Runtime: Testing for runtime features
Systemology: A zoology of operating systems
Multiple Cases: Tests for several possible values

Writing Test Programs

Results of Tests

Caching Results

Programming in M4

M4 Quotation

Using autom4te

Programming in M4sugar

Writing Autoconf Macros

Dependencies Between Macros

Portable Shell Programming

Shellology: A zoology of shells
Here-Documents: Quirks and tricks
File Descriptors: FDs and redirections
File System Conventions: File names
Shell Substitutions: Variable and command expansions
Assignments: Varying side effects of assignments
Parentheses: Parentheses in shell scripts
Slashes: Slashes in shell scripts
Special Shell Variables: Variables you should not change
Limitations of Builtins: Portable use of not so portable /bin/sh
Limitations of Usual Tools: Portable use of portable tools

Portable Make Programming

$< in Ordinary Make Rules: $< in ordinary rules
Failure in Make Rules: Failing portably in rules
Special Chars in Names: Special Characters in Macro Names
Backslash-Newline-Newline: Empty last lines in macro definitions
Backslash-Newline Comments: Spanning comments across line boundaries
Long Lines in Makefiles: Line length limitations
Macros and Submakes: make macro=value and submakes
The Make Macro MAKEFLAGS: $(MAKEFLAGS) portability issues
The Make Macro SHELL: $(SHELL) portability issues
Comments in Make Rules: Other problems with Make comments
obj/ and Make: Don't name a subdirectory obj
make -k Status: Exit status of ‘make -k’
VPATH and Make: VPATH woes
Single Suffix Rules: Single suffix rules and separated dependencies
Timestamps and Make: Subsecond timestamp resolution

VPATH and Make

Portable C and C++ Programming

Manual Configuration

Site Configuration

Transforming Program Names When Installing

Running configure Scripts

Basic Installation: Instructions for typical cases
Compilers and Options: Selecting compilers and optimization
Multiple Architectures: Compiling for multiple architectures at once
Installation Names: Installing in different directories
Optional Features: Selecting optional features
System Type: Specifying the system type
Sharing Defaults: Setting site-wide defaults for configure
Defining Variables: Specifying the compiler etc.
configure Invocation: Changing how configure runs

Obsolete Constructs

Upgrading From Version 1

Upgrading From Version 2.13

Generating Test Suites with Autotest

Using an Autotest Test Suite

Frequent Autoconf Questions, with answers

History of Autoconf

Copying This Manual

Indices

Environment Variable Index: Index of environment variables used
Output Variable Index: Index of variables set in output files
Preprocessor Symbol Index: Index of C preprocessor symbols defined
Autoconf Macro Index: Index of Autoconf macros
M4 Macro Index: Index of M4, M4sugar, and M4sh macros
Autotest Macro Index: Index of Autotest macros
Program & Function Index: Index of those with portability problems
Concept Index: General index

Published under the terms of the GNU General Public License

Design by Interspire