AUTOCONF(1) AUTOCONF(1)
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 ver-
sion series: 2.13 and earlier, 2.50 and later. Versions within either
series are largely compatible, but the two series are largely incompat-
ible. 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 sup-
ports 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 config-
ure.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 pro-
grams 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 par-
ticular 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 <pfaff-
ben@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux autoconf2.13 package.
Autoconf Wrapper AUTOCONF(1)
