NAME¶
wrapper - Wrapper for distinguishing Autoconf 2.13 and 2.50
SYNOPSIS¶
autoconf [
options ]
autoheader [
options ]
autoreconf [
options ]
DESCRIPTION¶
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
SEE
ALSO section below.
Automatic version selection works via a wrapper script installed under the names
autoconf,
autoheader, and
autoreconf. Each of these
attempts to detect which Autoconf is needed and run the correct version of the
tool.
There are no wrappers for
autoupdate,
autoscan, or
ifnames.
These are not used during a package build. Choose the proper version by hand.
The following heuristics are used to choose an Autoconf version:
- *
- If file configure.ac exists, Autoconf 2.50 is used. Autoconf 2.13
used the name 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 .ac.)
- *
- Otherwise, 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.
aclocal.m4, if present, is also scanned.
- *
- Otherwise, Autoconf 2.13 is used.
To force Autoconf 2.13 to be used, name the Autoconf input file
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
configure.ac or use AC_PREREQ(2.50).
I recommend not calling the programs
autoconf2.13 or
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.
SEE ALSO¶
autoconf2.13(1),
autoheader2.13(1),
autoreconf2.13(1),
autoconf2.50(1),
autoheader2.50(1),
autoreconf2.50(1),
and the Autoconf manuals
autoconf and
autoconf2.13.
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
autoconf2.13 package.