.\" Copyright (C) 2004 Ben Pfaff.
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.TH AUTOCONF 1 "Autoconf Wrapper"
.SH NAME
wrapper - Wrapper for distinguishing Autoconf 2.13 and 2.50
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B autoconf
[
.I options
]
.br
.B autoheader
[
.I options
]
.br
.B autoreconf
[
.I options
]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
Autoconf is an automatic configure script builder with two major
version series: 2.13 and earlier, 2.50 and later.  Versions within
either series are largely compatible, but the two series are largely
incompatible.  When both versions are installed, as they are on your
system (given that you're reading this manpage), Debian selects
between the two versions simultaneously.  This manpage documents how
the automatic selection works.  If you are actually looking for the
documentation for either version of Autoconf, then refer to the
.B SEE ALSO
section below.
.PP
Automatic version selection works via a wrapper script installed 
under the names 
.BR autoconf , 
.BR autoheader , 
and
.BR autoreconf .
Each of these attempts to detect which Autoconf is needed and run the
correct version of the tool.
.PP
There are no wrappers for 
.BR autoupdate ,
.BR autoscan ,
or
.BR ifnames .
These are not used during a package build.  Choose the proper version
by hand.
.PP
The following heuristics are used to choose an Autoconf version:
.TP
* \ \ 
If file 
.B configure.ac
exists, Autoconf 2.50 is used.  Autoconf 2.13 used the name
.B configure.in
instead, but version 2.50 supports both.

(Usually autoconf is run without nonoption arguments.  If a
filename is supplied on the command line, then version 2.50
is used if the filename ends in 
.BR .ac .)
.TP
* \ \ 
Otherwise,
.B configure.in
(or the file specified on the command line, if any) is read.  It is
checked for the presence of an AC_PREREQ directive.  If it specifies a
minimum version higher than 2.13, Autoconf 2.50 is used.
.BR aclocal.m4 ,
if present, is also scanned.
.TP
* \ \ 
Otherwise, Autoconf 2.13 is used.
.PP
To force Autoconf 2.13 to be used, name the Autoconf input file
.B configure.in
and omit the use of AC_PREREQ() or specify a minimum version of 2.13
or earlier.  To force Autoconf 2.50 to be used, name the input file
.B configure.ac
or use AC_PREREQ(2.50).
.PP
I recommend not calling the programs
.B autoconf2.13
or
.BR autoconf2.50 ,
etc., directly, instead of through the wrappers.  When used with
programs like Automake, these direct calls won't propagate through
into the Makefile, so later re-autoconf'ings won't use the correct
version.  It's better to use one of the methods explained above to
force a particular version.
.PP
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR autoconf2.13 (1),
.BR autoheader2.13 (1),
.BR autoreconf2.13 (1),
.BR autoconf2.50 (1),
.BR autoheader2.50 (1),
.BR autoreconf2.50 (1),
and the Autoconf manuals
.B autoconf
and
.BR autoconf2.13 .
.SH AUTHORS
David MacKenzie, with help from Franc,ois Pinard, Karl Berry, Richard
Pixley, Ian Lance Taylor, Roland McGrath, Noah Friedman, David
D. Zuhn, and many others.  This manpage written by Ben Pfaff
<pfaffben@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux
.B autoconf2.13
package.