source: chapter06/autoconf.xml@ 79286f58

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN"
  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../general.ent">
  %general-entities;
]>

<sect1 id="ch-system-autoconf" role="wrap">
  <?dbhtml filename="autoconf.html"?>

  <title>Autoconf-&autoconf-version;</title>

  <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf">
    <primary sortas="a-Autoconf">Autoconf</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <sect2 role="package">
    <title/>

    <para>The Autoconf package contains programs for producing shell scripts that
    can automatically configure source code.</para>

    <segmentedlist>
      <segtitle>&buildtime;</segtitle>
      <segtitle>&diskspace;</segtitle>

      <seglistitem>
        <seg>&autoconf-ch6-sbu;</seg>
        <seg>&autoconf-ch6-du;</seg>
      </seglistitem>
    </segmentedlist>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 role="installation">
    <title>Installation of Autoconf</title>

    <para>Prepare Autoconf for compilation:</para>

<screen><userinput>./configure --prefix=/usr</userinput></screen>

    <para>Compile the package:</para>

<screen><userinput>make</userinput></screen>

    <para>To test the results, issue:
    <userinput>make check</userinput>.
    This takes a long time, about 3 SBUs.  In addition, 6 tests are skipped
    that use Automake.  For full test coverage, Autoconf can be re-tested
    after Automake has been installed.</para>

    <para>Install the package:</para>

<screen><userinput>make install</userinput></screen>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="contents-autoconf" role="content">
    <title>Contents of Autoconf</title>

    <segmentedlist>
      <segtitle>Installed programs</segtitle>

      <seglistitem>
        <seg>autoconf, autoheader, autom4te, autoreconf, autoscan, autoupdate,
        and ifnames</seg>
      </seglistitem>
    </segmentedlist>

    <variablelist>
      <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Short Descriptions</bridgehead>
      <?dbfo list-presentation="list"?>
      <?dbhtml list-presentation="table"?>

      <varlistentry id="autoconf">
        <term><command>autoconf</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Produces shell scripts that automatically configure software
          source code packages to adapt to many kinds of Unix-like systems.
          The configuration scripts it produces are independent&mdash;running
          them does not require the <command>autoconf</command> program.</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autoconf">
            <primary sortas="b-autoconf">autoconf</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="autoheader">
        <term><command>autoheader</command> </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>A tool for creating template files of C
          <emphasis>#define</emphasis> statements for configure to use</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autoheader">
            <primary sortas="b-autoheader">autoheader</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="autom4te">
        <term><command>autom4te</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>A wrapper for the M4 macro processor</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autom4te">
            <primary sortas="b-autom4te">autom4te</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="autoreconf">
        <term><command>autoreconf</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Automatically runs <command>autoconf</command>,
          <command>autoheader</command>, <command>aclocal</command>,
          <command>automake</command>, <command>gettextize</command>, and
          <command>libtoolize</command> in the correct order to save time
          when changes are made to <command>autoconf</command> and
          <command>automake</command> template files</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autoreconf">
            <primary sortas="b-autoreconf">autoreconf</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="autoscan">
        <term><command>autoscan</command> </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Helps to create a <filename>configure.in</filename> file for a
          software package; it examines the source files in a directory tree,
          searching them for common portability issues, and creates a
          <filename>configure.scan</filename> file that serves as as a
          preliminary <filename>configure.in</filename> file for the
          package</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autoscan">
            <primary sortas="b-autoscan">autoscan</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="autoupdate">
        <term><command>autoupdate</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Modifies a <filename>configure.in</filename> file that still
          calls <command>autoconf</command> macros by their old names to use the
          current macro names</para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf autoupdate">
            <primary sortas="b-autoupdate">autoupdate</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="ifnames">
        <term><command>ifnames</command> </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Helps when writing <filename>configure.in</filename> files
          for a software package; it prints the identifiers that the package
          uses in C preprocessor conditionals. If a package has already been set
          up to have some portability, this program can help determine what
          <command>configure</command> needs to check for. It can also fill in
          gaps in a <filename>configure.in</filename> file generated by
          <command>autoscan</command></para>
          <indexterm zone="ch-system-autoconf ifnames">
            <primary sortas="b-ifnames">ifnames</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

    </variablelist>

  </sect2>

</sect1>