What is autoconf used for?

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GNU Autoconf is a tool for producing configure scripts for building, installing, and packaging software on computer systems where a Bourne shell is available. Autoconf is agnostic about the programming languages used, but it is often used for projects using C, C++, Fortran, Fortran 77, Erlang, or Objective-C.

How do I set up autoconf?

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 .

What is autoconf package?

Autoconf is an extensible package of M4 macros that produce shell scripts to automatically configure software source code packages. These scripts can adapt the packages to many kinds of UNIX-like systems without manual user intervention.

What is a configure AC file?

configure.ac (sometimes also named: configure.in) is an input file for autoconf. It contains tests that check for conditions that are likely to differ on different platforms. The tests are made by actually invoke autoconf macros.

How do you set output variables?

Setting output variables using scripts

[string]$name – the name you want to give the output variable following the same naming conventions used for input variables.
[string]$value – the value you want to give the output variable.

When should I run Autoreconf?

Most users will never need to run autoreconf , even those who are making some modifications to source (e.g. patches). Only those who need to make modifications to the package itself (making changes to configure.ac and/or Makefile.am ) will need autoreconf .

What is DH-Autoreconf package?

The dh-autoreconf package supplies dh module/debhelper/cdbs commands to run autoreconf and restore the original source files on clean. These commands are run by default when using the dh sequencer since debhelper compatibility level 10.

Where is autoconf?

Autoconf documentation can be found in several formats at http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/. You may also find more information about Autoconf by looking at your local documentation.