Autoconf

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Autoconf

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
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
Questions: Questions about Autoconf, 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
Automake: Escaping Makefile hell
Libtool: Building libraries portably
Pointers: More info on the GNU build system
Making configure Scripts
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
Writing configure.ac
Shell Script Compiler: Autoconf as solution of a problem
Autoconf Language: Programming in Autoconf
configure.ac Layout: Standard organization of 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 from the configuration
Subdirectories: Configuring independent packages together
Default Prefix: Changing the default installation prefix
Substitutions in Makefiles
Preset Output Variables: Output variables that are always set
Installation Directory Variables: Other preset output variables
Build Directories: Supporting multiple concurrent compiles
Automatic Remaking: Makefile rules for configuring
Configuration Header Files
Header Templates: Input for the configuration headers
autoheader Invocation: How to create configuration templates
Autoheader Macros: How to specify CPP templates
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
UNIX Variants: Special kludges for specific UNIX variants
Common Behavior
Standard Symbols: Symbols defined by the macros
Default Includes: Includes used by the generic macros
Alternative Programs
Particular Programs: Special handling to find certain programs
Generic Programs: How to find other programs
Library Functions
Function Portability: Pitfalls with usual functions
Particular Functions: Special handling to find certain functions
Generic Functions: How to find other functions
Header Files
Particular Headers: Special handling to find certain headers
Generic Headers: How to find other headers
Declarations
Particular Declarations: Macros to check for certain declarations
Generic Declarations: How to find other declarations
Structures
Particular Structures: Macros to check for certain structure members
Generic Structures: How to find other structure members
Types
Particular Types: Special handling to find certain types
Generic Types: How to find other types
Compilers and Preprocessors
Specific Compiler Characteristics: Some portability issues
Generic Compiler Characteristics: Language independent tests
C Compiler: Checking its characteristics
C++ Compiler: Likewise
Fortran 77 Compiler: Likewise
Writing Tests
Examining Declarations: Detecting header files and declarations
Examining Syntax: Detecting language syntax features
Examining Libraries: Detecting functions and global variables
Run Time: Testing for run-time features
Systemology: A zoology of operating systems
Multiple Cases: Tests for several possible values
Language Choice: Selecting which language to use for testing
Checking Run Time Behavior
Test Programs: Running test programs
Guidelines: General rules for writing test programs
Test Functions: Avoiding pitfalls in test programs
Results of Tests
Defining Symbols: Defining C preprocessor symbols
Setting Output Variables: Replacing variables in output files
Caching Results: Speeding up subsequent configure runs
Printing Messages: Notifying configure users
Caching Results
Cache Variable Names: Shell variables used in caches
Cache Files: Files configure uses for caching
Cache Checkpointing: Loading and saving the cache file
Programming in M4
M4 Quotation: Protecting macros from unwanted expansion
Invoking autom4te: The Autoconf executables backbone
Programming in M4sugar: Convenient pure M4 macros
Programming in M4sh: Common Shell Constructs
M4 Quotation
Active Characters: Characters that change the behavior of m4
One Macro Call: Quotation and one macro call
Quotation and Nested Macros: Macros calling macros
Changequote is Evil: Worse than INTERCAL: M4 + changequote
Quadrigraphs: Another way to escape special characters
Quotation Rule Of Thumb: One parenthesis, one quote
Programming in M4sugar
Redefined M4 Macros: M4 builtins changed in M4sugar
Evaluation Macros: More quotation and evaluation control
Forbidden Patterns: Catching unexpanded macros
Writing Autoconf Macros
Macro Definitions: Basic format of an Autoconf macro
Macro Names: What to call your new macros
Reporting Messages: Notifying autoconf users
Dependencies Between Macros: What to do when macros depend on other macros
Obsoleting Macros: Warning about old ways of doing things
Coding Style: Writing Autoconf macros à la Autoconf
Dependencies Between Macros
Prerequisite Macros: Ensuring required information
Suggested Ordering: Warning about possible ordering problems
Portable Shell Programming
Shellology: A zoology of shells
Here-Documents: Quirks and tricks
File Descriptors: FDs and redirections
File System Conventions: File- and pathnames
Shell Substitutions: Variable and command expansions
Assignments: Varying side effects of assignments
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
Limitations of Make: Portable Makefiles
Manual Configuration
Specifying Names: Specifying the system type
Canonicalizing: Getting the canonical system type
Using System Type: What to do with the system type
Site Configuration
External Software: Working with other optional software
Package Options: Selecting optional features
Pretty Help Strings: Formating help string
Site Details: Configuring site details
Transforming Names: Changing program names when installing
Site Defaults: Giving configure local defaults
Transforming Program Names When Installing
Transformation Options: configure options to transform names
Transformation Examples: Sample uses of transforming names
Transformation Rules: Makefile uses of transforming names
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
Obsolete config.status Use: Different calling convention
acconfig.h: Additional entries in config.h.in
autoupdate Invocation: Automatic update of configure.ac
Obsolete Macros: Backward compatibility macros
Autoconf 1: Tips for upgrading your files
Autoconf 2.13: Some fresher tips
Upgrading From Version 1
Changed File Names: Files you might rename
Changed Makefiles: New things to put in Makefile.in
Changed Macros: Macro calls you might replace
Changed Results: Changes in how to check test results
Changed Macro Writing: Better ways to write your own macros
Upgrading From Version 2.13
Changed Quotation: Broken code which used to work
New Macros: Interaction with foreign macros
Hosts and Cross-Compilation: Bugward compatibility kludges
AC_LIBOBJ vs. LIBOBJS:
Generating Test Suites with Autotest
Using an Autotest Test Suite: Autotest and the user
Writing testsuite.at: Autotest macros
testsuite Invocation: Running testsuite scripts
Making testsuite Scripts: Using autom4te to create testsuite
Using an Autotest Test Suite
testsuite Scripts: The concepts of Autotest
Autotest Logs: Their contents
Questions About Autoconf
Distributing: Distributing configure scripts
Why GNU m4: Why not use the standard M4?
Bootstrapping: Autoconf and GNU M4 require each other?
Why Not Imake: Why GNU uses configure instead of Imake
History of Autoconf
Genesis: Prehistory and naming of configure
Exodus: The plagues of M4 and Perl
Leviticus: The priestly code of portability arrives
Numbers: Growth and contributors
Deuteronomy: Approaching the promises of easy configuration
Copying This Manual
GNU Free Documentation License: License for 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