autoconf
TLDR
Generate configure script
SYNOPSIS
autoconf [-o output] [input]
DESCRIPTION
autoconf generates configure scripts from templates (configure.ac or configure.in). These scripts probe the system for available features, libraries, and tools, producing Makefiles tailored to the build environment.
Autoconf is part of the GNU Build System (autotools), used by thousands of open source projects.
PARAMETERS
-o file
Output file (default: configure)-W category
Warning category-I dir
Add directory to search path-f, --force
Force regeneration-v, --verbose
Verbose output--trace=macro
Trace macro calls
WORKFLOW
1. Write configure.ac
2. Run autoconf to generate configure
3. Distribute configure with source
4. Users run ./configure to generate Makefile
CAVEATS
Requires M4 macro processor. Complex syntax based on M4. Generated configure scripts are large. Learning curve is steep.
HISTORY
Autoconf was created by David MacKenzie in 1991 to address the portability problems of Unix software. It became the standard build system for GNU and many other projects.
SEE ALSO
automake(1), autoreconf(1), configure(1)
