# Autoconf-&autoconf-version;

The Autoconf package contains programs for producing shell scripts that can automatically configure source code.

## Installation of Autoconf

Prepare Autoconf for compilation:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr

Compile the package:

    make

To test the results, issue: `make check VERBOSE=yes`. 17 tests are skipped that use Automake and different GCC languages. For full test coverage, Autoconf can be re-tested after Automake has been installed.

Install the package:

    make install

## Contents of Autoconf

Installed programs Installed directory
- autoconf, autoheader, autom4te, autoreconf, autoscan, autoupdate, and ifnames /usr/share/autoconf

Short Descriptions

`autoconf`

- Produces shell scripts that automatically configure software source code packages to adapt to many kinds of Unix-like systems. The configuration scripts it produces are independent—running them does not require the `autoconf` program.

`autoheader`

- A tool for creating template files of C #define statements for configure to use

`autom4te`

- A wrapper for the M4 macro processor

`autoreconf`

- Automatically runs `autoconf`, `autoheader`, `aclocal`, `automake`, `gettextize`, and `libtoolize` in the correct order to save time when changes are made to `autoconf` and `automake` template files

`autoscan`

- Helps to create a `configure.in` file for a software package; it examines the source files in a directory tree, searching them for common portability issues, and creates a `configure.scan` file that serves as as a preliminary `configure.in` file for the package

`autoupdate`

- Modifies a `configure.in` file that still calls `autoconf` macros by their old names to use the current macro names

`ifnames`

- Helps when writing `configure.in` files for a software package; it prints the identifiers that the package uses in C preprocessor conditionals. If a package has already been set up to have some portability, this program can help determine what `configure` needs to check for. It can also fill in gaps in a `configure.in` file generated by `autoscan`