automake:

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# automake

This file documents the GNU Automake package. Automake is a program which creates GNU standards-compliant Makefiles from template files. This edition documents version 1.7.2.

> 1. Introduction |  | Automake's purpose
> 2. General ideas |  |
> 3. Some example packages |  |
> 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`' |  | Creating a Makefile.in
> 5. Scanning ``configure.in`' |  | Scanning configure.ac or configure.in
> 6. The top-level ``Makefile.am`' |  | The top-level Makefile.am
> 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories |  | An alternative approach to subdirectories
> 8. Rebuilding Makefiles |  | Automatic rebuilding of Makefile
> 9. Building Programs and Libraries |  | Building programs and libraries
> 10. Other Derived Objects |  | Other derived objects
> 11. Other GNU Tools |  |
> 12. Building documentation |  |
> 13. What Gets Installed |  | What gets installed
> 14. What Gets Cleaned |  | What gets cleaned
> 15. What Goes in a Distribution |  | What goes in a distribution
> 16. Support for test suites |  |
> 17. Changing Automake's Behavior |  | Changing Automake's behavior
> 18. Miscellaneous Rules |  | Miscellaneous rules
> 19. Include |  | Including extra files in an Automake template.
> 20. Conditionals |  |
> 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits` |  |
> 22. The effect of `--cygnus` |  |
> 23. When Automake Isn't Enough |  | Extending Automake
> 24. Distributing ``Makefile.in`'s |  | Distributing the Makefile.in
> 25. Automake API versioning |  | About compatibility between Automake versions
> Macro and Variable Index |  |
> General Index |  |

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# 1. Introduction

Automake is a tool for automatically generating ``Makefile.in`'s from files called ``Makefile.am`'. Each ``Makefile.am`' is basically a series of `make` variable definitions(1), with rules being thrown in occasionally. The generated ``Makefile.in`'s are compliant with the GNU Makefile standards.

The GNU Makefile Standards Document (see section `Makefile Conventions' in The GNU Coding Standards) is long, complicated, and subject to change. The goal of Automake is to remove the burden of Makefile maintenance from the back of the individual GNU maintainer (and put it on the back of the Automake maintainer).

The typical Automake input file is simply a series of variable definitions. Each such file is processed to create a ``Makefile.in`'. There should generally be one ``Makefile.am`' per directory of a project.

Automake does constrain a project in certain ways; for instance it assumes that the project uses Autoconf (see section `Introduction' in The Autoconf Manual), and enforces certain restrictions on the ``configure.in`' contents(2).

Automake requires `perl` in order to generate the ``Makefile.in`'s. However, the distributions created by Automake are fully GNU standards-compliant, and do not require `perl` in order to be built.

Mail suggestions and bug reports for Automake to bug-automake@gnu.org.

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# 2. General ideas

The following sections cover a few basic ideas that will help you understand how Automake works.

> 2.1 General Operation |  | General operation of Automake
> 2.2 Strictness |  | Standards conformance checking
> 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme |  |
> 2.4 How derived variables are named |  |
> 2.5 Variables reserved for the user |  |
> 2.6 Programs automake might require |  |

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## 2.1 General Operation

Automake works by reading a ``Makefile.am`' and generating a ``Makefile.in`'. Certain variables and targets defined in the ``Makefile.am`' instruct Automake to generate more specialized code; for instance, a ``bin_PROGRAMS`' variable definition will cause targets for compiling and linking programs to be generated.

The variable definitions and targets in the ``Makefile.am`' are copied verbatim into the generated file. This allows you to add arbitrary code into the generated ``Makefile.in`'. For instance the Automake distribution includes a non-standard `cvs-dist` target, which the Automake maintainer uses to make distributions from his source control system.

Note that most GNU make extensions are not recognized by Automake. Using such extensions in a ``Makefile.am`' will lead to errors or confusing behavior.

A special exception is that the GNU make append operator, ``+=`', is supported. This operator appends its right hand argument to the variable specified on the left. Automake will translate the operator into an ordinary ``=`' operator; ``+=`' will thus work with any make program.

Automake tries to keep comments grouped with any adjoining targets or variable definitions.

A target defined in ``Makefile.am`' generally overrides any such target of a similar name that would be automatically generated by `automake`. Although this is a supported feature, it is generally best to avoid making use of it, as sometimes the generated rules are very particular.

Similarly, a variable defined in ``Makefile.am`' or `AC_SUBST`'ed from ``configure.in`' will override any definition of the variable that `automake` would ordinarily create. This feature is more often useful than the ability to override a target definition. Be warned that many of the variables generated by `automake` are considered to be for internal use only, and their names might change in future releases.

When examining a variable definition, Automake will recursively examine variables referenced in the definition. For example, if Automake is looking at the content of `foo_SOURCES` in this snippet

    xs = a.c b.c
    foo_SOURCES = c.c $(xs)

it would use the files ``a.c`', ``b.c`', and ``c.c`' as the contents of `foo_SOURCES`.

Automake also allows a form of comment which is not copied into the output; all lines beginning with ``##`' (leading spaces allowed) are completely ignored by Automake.

It is customary to make the first line of ``Makefile.am`' read:

    ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in

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## 2.2 Strictness

While Automake is intended to be used by maintainers of GNU packages, it does make some effort to accommodate those who wish to use it, but do not want to use all the GNU conventions.

To this end, Automake supports three levels of strictness---the strictness indicating how stringently Automake should check standards conformance.

The valid strictness levels are:

``foreign`'
  Automake will check for only those things which are absolutely required for proper operations. For instance, whereas GNU standards dictate the existence of a ``NEWS`' file, it will not be required in this mode. The name comes from the fact that Automake is intended to be used for GNU programs; these relaxed rules are not the standard mode of operation.

``gnu`'
  Automake will check--as much as possible--for compliance to the GNU standards for packages. This is the default.

``gnits`'
  Automake will check for compliance to the as-yet-unwritten Gnits standards. These are based on the GNU standards, but are even more detailed. Unless you are a Gnits standards contributor, it is recommended that you avoid this option until such time as the Gnits standard is actually published (which may never happen).

For more information on the precise implications of the strictness level, see 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`.

Automake also has a special "cygnus" mode which is similar to strictness but handled differently. This mode is useful for packages which are put into a "Cygnus" style tree (e.g., the GCC tree). For more information on this mode, see 22. The effect of `--cygnus`.

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## 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme

Automake variables generally follow a uniform naming scheme that makes it easy to decide how programs (and other derived objects) are built, and how they are installed. This scheme also supports `configure` time determination of what should be built.

At `make` time, certain variables are used to determine which objects are to be built. The variable names are made of several pieces which are concatenated together.

The piece which tells automake what is being built is commonly called the primary. For instance, the primary `PROGRAMS` holds a list of programs which are to be compiled and linked.

A different set of names is used to decide where the built objects should be installed. These names are prefixes to the primary which indicate which standard directory should be used as the installation directory. The standard directory names are given in the GNU standards (see section `Directory Variables' in The GNU Coding Standards). Automake extends this list with `pkglibdir`, `pkgincludedir`, and `pkgdatadir`; these are the same as the non-``pkg`' versions, but with ``@PACKAGE@`' appended. For instance, `pkglibdir` is defined as `$(libdir)/@PACKAGE@`.

For each primary, there is one additional variable named by prepending ``EXTRA_`' to the primary name. This variable is used to list objects which may or may not be built, depending on what `configure` decides. This variable is required because Automake must statically know the entire list of objects that may be built in order to generate a ``Makefile.in`' that will work in all cases.

For instance, `cpio` decides at configure time which programs are built. Some of the programs are installed in `bindir`, and some are installed in `sbindir`:

    EXTRA_PROGRAMS = mt rmt
    bin_PROGRAMS = cpio pax
    sbin_PROGRAMS = @MORE_PROGRAMS@

Defining a primary without a prefix as a variable, e.g., `PROGRAMS`, is an error.

Note that the common ``dir`' suffix is left off when constructing the variable names; thus one writes ``bin_PROGRAMS`' and not ``bindir_PROGRAMS`'.

Not every sort of object can be installed in every directory. Automake will flag those attempts it finds in error. Automake will also diagnose obvious misspellings in directory names.

Sometimes the standard directories--even as augmented by Automake--- are not enough. In particular it is sometimes useful, for clarity, to install objects in a subdirectory of some predefined directory. To this end, Automake allows you to extend the list of possible installation directories. A given prefix (e.g. ``zar`') is valid if a variable of the same name with ``dir`' appended is defined (e.g. `zardir`).

For instance, until HTML support is part of Automake, you could use this to install raw HTML documentation:

    htmldir = $(prefix)/html
    html_DATA = automake.html

The special prefix ``noinst`' indicates that the objects in question should be built but not installed at all. This is usually used for objects required to build the rest of your package, for instance static libraries (see section 9.2 Building a library), or helper scripts.

The special prefix ``check`' indicates that the objects in question should not be built until the `make check` command is run. Those objects are not installed either.

The current primary names are ``PROGRAMS`', ``LIBRARIES`', ``LISP`', ``PYTHON`', ``JAVA`', ``SCRIPTS`', ``DATA`', ``HEADERS`', ``MANS`', and ``TEXINFOS`'.

Some primaries also allow additional prefixes which control other aspects of `automake`'s behavior. The currently defined prefixes are ``dist_`', ``nodist_`', and ``nobase_`'. These prefixes are explained later (see section 9.4 Program and Library Variables).

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## 2.4 How derived variables are named

Sometimes a Makefile variable name is derived from some text the maintainer supplies. For instance, a program name listed in ``_PROGRAMS`' is rewritten into the name of a ``_SOURCES`' variable. In cases like this, Automake canonicalizes the text, so that program names and the like do not have to follow Makefile variable naming rules. All characters in the name except for letters, numbers, the strudel (@), and the underscore are turned into underscores when making variable references.

For example, if your program is named `sniff-glue`, the derived variable name would be `sniff_glue_SOURCES`, not `sniff-glue_SOURCES`. Similarly the sources for a library named `libmumble++.a` should be listed in the `libmumble___a_SOURCES` variable.

The strudel is an addition, to make the use of Autoconf substitutions in variable names less obfuscating.

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## 2.5 Variables reserved for the user

Some `Makefile` variables are reserved by the GNU Coding Standards for the use of the "user" -- the person building the package. For instance, `CFLAGS` is one such variable.

Sometimes package developers are tempted to set user variables such as `CFLAGS` because it appears to make their job easier -- they don't have to introduce a second variable into every target.

However, the package itself should never set a user variable, particularly not to include switches which are required for proper compilation of the package. Since these variables are documented as being for the package builder, that person rightfully expects to be able to override any of these variables at build time.

To get around this problem, automake introduces an automake-specific shadow variable for each user flag variable. (Shadow variables are not introduced for variables like `CC`, where they would make no sense.) The shadow variable is named by prepending ``AM_`' to the user variable's name. For instance, the shadow variable for `YFLAGS` is `AM_YFLAGS`.

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## 2.6 Programs automake might require

Automake sometimes requires helper programs so that the generated ``Makefile`' can do its work properly. There are a fairly large number of them, and we list them here.

`ansi2knr.c`
`ansi2knr.1`
  These two files are used by the automatic de-ANSI-fication support (see section 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication).

`compile`
  This is a wrapper for compilers which don't accept both ``-c`' and ``-o`' at the same time. It is only used when absolutely required. Such compilers are rare.

`config.guess`
`config.sub`
  These programs compute the canonical triplets for the given build, host, or target architecture. These programs are updated regularly to support new architectures and fix probes broken by changes in new kernel versions. You are encouraged to fetch the latest versions of these files from ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/config/ before making a release.

`depcomp`
  This program understands how to run a compiler so that it will generate not only the desired output but also dependency information which is then used by the automatic dependency tracking feature.

`elisp-comp`
  This program is used to byte-compile Emacs Lisp code.

`install-sh`
  This is a replacement for the `install` program which works on platforms where `install` is unavailable or unusable.

`mdate-sh`
  This script is used to generate a ``version.texi`' file. It examines a file and prints some date information about it.

`missing`
  This wraps a number of programs which are typically only required by maintainers. If the program in question doesn't exist, `missing` prints an informative warning and attempts to fix things so that the build can continue.

`mkinstalldirs`
  This works around the fact that `mkdir -p` is not portable.

`py-compile`
  This is used to byte-compile Python scripts.

`texinfo.tex`
  Not a program, this file is required for `make dvi`, `make ps` and `make pdf` to work when Texinfo sources are in the package.

`ylwrap`
  This program wraps `lex` and `yacc` and ensures that, for instance, multiple `yacc` instances can be invoked in a single directory in parallel.

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# 3. Some example packages

> 3.1 A simple example, start to finish |  |
> 3.2 A classic program |  |
> 3.3 Building true and false |  |

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## 3.1 A simple example, start to finish

Let's suppose you just finished writing `zardoz`, a program to make your head float from vortex to vortex. You've been using Autoconf to provide a portability framework, but your ``Makefile.in`'s have been ad-hoc. You want to make them bulletproof, so you turn to Automake.

The first step is to update your ``configure.in`' to include the commands that `automake` needs. The way to do this is to add an `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` call just after `AC_INIT`:

    AC_INIT(zardoz, 1.0)
    AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
    ...

Since your program doesn't have any complicating factors (e.g., it doesn't use `gettext`, it doesn't want to build a shared library), you're done with this part. That was easy!

Now you must regenerate ``configure`'. But to do that, you'll need to tell `autoconf` how to find the new macro you've used. The easiest way to do this is to use the `aclocal` program to generate your ``aclocal.m4`' for you. But wait... maybe you already have an ``aclocal.m4`', because you had to write some hairy macros for your program. The `aclocal` program lets you put your own macros into ``acinclude.m4`', so simply rename and then run:

    mv aclocal.m4 acinclude.m4
    aclocal
    autoconf

Now it is time to write your ``Makefile.am`' for `zardoz`. Since `zardoz` is a user program, you want to install it where the rest of the user programs go: `bindir`. Additionally, `zardoz` has some Texinfo documentation. Your ``configure.in`' script uses `AC_REPLACE_FUNCS`, so you need to link against ``@LIBOBJS@`'. So here's what you'd write:

    bin_PROGRAMS = zardoz
    zardoz_SOURCES = main.c head.c float.c vortex9.c gun.c
    zardoz_LDADD = @LIBOBJS@

    info_TEXINFOS = zardoz.texi

Now you can run `automake --add-missing` to generate your ``Makefile.in`' and grab any auxiliary files you might need, and you're done!

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## 3.2 A classic program

GNU hello is renowned for its classic simplicity and versatility. This section shows how Automake could be used with the GNU Hello package. The examples below are from the latest beta version of GNU Hello, but with all of the maintainer-only code stripped out, as well as all copyright comments.

Of course, GNU Hello is somewhat more featureful than your traditional two-liner. GNU Hello is internationalized, does option processing, and has a manual and a test suite.

Here is the ``configure.in`' from GNU Hello:

    dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
    AC_INIT(src/hello.c)
    AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(hello, 1.3.11)
    AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)

    dnl Set of available languages.
    ALL_LINGUAS="de fr es ko nl no pl pt sl sv"

    dnl Checks for programs.
    AC_PROG_CC
    AC_ISC_POSIX

    dnl Checks for libraries.

    dnl Checks for header files.
    AC_STDC_HEADERS
    AC_HAVE_HEADERS(string.h fcntl.h sys/file.h sys/param.h)

    dnl Checks for library functions.
    AC_FUNC_ALLOCA

    dnl Check for st_blksize in struct stat
    AC_ST_BLKSIZE

    dnl internationalization macros
    AM_GNU_GETTEXT
    AC_OUTPUT([Makefile doc/Makefile intl/Makefile po/Makefile.in \
               src/Makefile tests/Makefile tests/hello],
       [chmod +x tests/hello])

The ``AM_`' macros are provided by Automake (or the Gettext library); the rest are standard Autoconf macros.

The top-level ``Makefile.am`':

    EXTRA_DIST = BUGS ChangeLog.O
    SUBDIRS = doc intl po src tests

As you can see, all the work here is really done in subdirectories.

The ``po`' and ``intl`' directories are automatically generated using `gettextize`; they will not be discussed here.

In ``doc/Makefile.am`' we see:

    info_TEXINFOS = hello.texi
    hello_TEXINFOS = gpl.texi

This is sufficient to build, install, and distribute the GNU Hello manual.

Here is ``tests/Makefile.am`':

    TESTS = hello
    EXTRA_DIST = hello.in testdata

The script ``hello`' is generated by `configure`, and is the only test case. `make check` will run this test.

Last we have ``src/Makefile.am`', where all the real work is done:

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello
    hello_SOURCES = hello.c version.c getopt.c getopt1.c getopt.h system.h
    hello_LDADD = @INTLLIBS@ @ALLOCA@
    localedir = $(datadir)/locale
    INCLUDES = -I../intl -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(localedir)\"

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## 3.3 Building true and false

Here is another, trickier example. It shows how to generate two programs (`true` and `false`) from the same source file (``true.c`'). The difficult part is that each compilation of ``true.c`' requires different `cpp` flags.

    bin_PROGRAMS = true false
    false_SOURCES =
    false_LDADD = false.o

    true.o: true.c
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=0 -c true.c

    false.o: true.c
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=1 -o false.o -c true.c

Note that there is no `true_SOURCES` definition. Automake will implicitly assume that there is a source file named ``true.c`', and define rules to compile ``true.o`' and link ``true`'. The `true.o: true.c` rule supplied by the above ``Makefile.am`', will override the Automake generated rule to build ``true.o`'.

`false_SOURCES` is defined to be empty--that way no implicit value is substituted. Because we have not listed the source of ``false`', we have to tell Automake how to link the program. This is the purpose of the `false_LDADD` line. A `false_DEPENDENCIES` variable, holding the dependencies of the ``false`' target will be automatically generated by Automake from the content of `false_LDADD`.

The above rules won't work if your compiler doesn't accept both ``-c`' and ``-o`'. The simplest fix for this is to introduce a bogus dependency (to avoid problems with a parallel `make`):

    true.o: true.c false.o
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=0 -c true.c

    false.o: true.c
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=1 -c true.c && mv true.o false.o

Also, these explicit rules do not work if the de-ANSI-fication feature is used (see section 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication). Supporting de-ANSI-fication requires a little more work:

    true._o: true._c false.o
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=0 -c true.c

    false._o: true._c
            $(COMPILE) -DEXIT_CODE=1 -c true.c && mv true._o false.o

As it turns out, there is also a much easier way to do this same task. Some of the above techniques are useful enough that we've kept the example in the manual. However if you were to build `true` and `false` in real life, you would probably use per-program compilation flags, like so:

    bin_PROGRAMS = false true

    false_SOURCES = true.c
    false_CPPFLAGS = -DEXIT_CODE=1

    true_SOURCES = true.c
    true_CPPFLAGS = -DEXIT_CODE=0

In this case Automake will cause ``true.c`' to be compiled twice, with different flags. De-ANSI-fication will work automatically. In this instance, the names of the object files would be chosen by automake; they would be ``false-true.o`' and ``true-true.o`'. (The name of the object files rarely matters.)

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# 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'

To create all the ``Makefile.in`'s for a package, run the `automake` program in the top level directory, with no arguments. `automake` will automatically find each appropriate ``Makefile.am`' (by scanning ``configure.in`'; see section 5. Scanning ``configure.in`') and generate the corresponding ``Makefile.in`'. Note that `automake` has a rather simplistic view of what constitutes a package; it assumes that a package has only one ``configure.in`', at the top. If your package has multiple ``configure.in`'s, then you must run `automake` in each directory holding a ``configure.in`'. (Alternatively, you may rely on Autoconf's `autoreconf`, which is able to recurse your package tree and run `automake` where appropriate.)

You can optionally give `automake` an argument; ``.am`' is appended to the argument and the result is used as the name of the input file. This feature is generally only used to automatically rebuild an out-of-date ``Makefile.in`'. Note that `automake` must always be run from the topmost directory of a project, even if being used to regenerate the ``Makefile.in`' in some subdirectory. This is necessary because `automake` must scan ``configure.in`', and because `automake` uses the knowledge that a ``Makefile.in`' is in a subdirectory to change its behavior in some cases.

Automake will run `autoconf` to scan ``configure.in`' and its dependencies (``aclocal.m4`'), therefore `autoconf` must be in your `PATH`. If there is an `AUTOCONF` variable in your environment it will be used instead of `autoconf`, this allows you to select a particular version of Autoconf. By the way, don't misunderstand this paragraph: Automake runs `autoconf` to scan your ``configure.in`', this won't build ``configure`' and you still have to run `autoconf` yourself for this purpose.

`automake` accepts the following options:

``-a`'
``--add-missing`'
  Automake requires certain common files to exist in certain situations; for instance ``config.guess`' is required if ``configure.in`' runs `AC_CANONICAL_HOST`. Automake is distributed with several of these files (see section 2.6 Programs automake might require); this option will cause the missing ones to be automatically added to the package, whenever possible. In general if Automake tells you a file is missing, try using this option. By default Automake tries to make a symbolic link pointing to its own copy of the missing file; this can be changed with `--copy`.

``--libdir=dir`'
  Look for Automake data files in directory dir instead of in the installation directory. This is typically used for debugging.

``-c`'
``--copy`'
  When used with `--add-missing`, causes installed files to be copied. The default is to make a symbolic link.

``--cygnus`'
  Causes the generated ``Makefile.in`'s to follow Cygnus rules, instead of GNU or Gnits rules. For more information, see 22. The effect of `--cygnus`.

``-f`'
``--force-missing`'
  When used with `--add-missing`, causes standard files to be reinstalled even if they already exist in the source tree. This involves removing the file from the source tree before creating the new symlink (or, with `--copy`, copying the new file).

``--foreign`'
  Set the global strictness to ``foreign`'. For more information, see 2.2 Strictness.

``--gnits`'
  Set the global strictness to ``gnits`'. For more information, see 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`.

``--gnu`'
  Set the global strictness to ``gnu`'. For more information, see 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`. This is the default strictness.

``--help`'
  Print a summary of the command line options and exit.

``-i`'
``--ignore-deps`'
  This disables the dependency tracking feature in generated ``Makefile`'s; see 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking.

``--include-deps`'
  This enables the dependency tracking feature. This feature is enabled by default. This option is provided for historical reasons only and probably should not be used.

``--no-force`'
  Ordinarily `automake` creates all ``Makefile.in`'s mentioned in ``configure.in`'. This option causes it to only update those ``Makefile.in`'s which are out of date with respect to one of their dependents.

``-o dir`'
``--output-dir=dir`'
  Put the generated ``Makefile.in`' in the directory dir. Ordinarily each ``Makefile.in`' is created in the directory of the corresponding ``Makefile.am`'. This option is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.

``-v`'
``--verbose`'
  Cause Automake to print information about which files are being read or created.

``--version`'
  Print the version number of Automake and exit.

``-W CATEGORY`'
``--warnings=category`'
  Output warnings falling in category. category can be one of:
  ``gnu`'
    warnings related to the GNU Coding Standards (see section `Top' in The GNU Coding Standards).
  ``obsolete`'
    obsolete features or constructions
  ``portability`'
    portability issues (e.g., use of Make features which are known not portable)
  ``syntax`'
    weird syntax, unused variables, typos
  ``unsupported`'
    unsupported or incomplete features
  ``all`'
    all the warnings
  ``none`'
    turn off all the warnings
  ``error`'
    treat warnings as errors

  A category can be turned off by prefixing its name with ``no-`'. For instance ``-Wno-syntax`' will hide the warnings about unused variables.

  The categories output by default are ``syntax`' and ``unsupported`'. Additionally, ``gnu`' is enabled in ``--gnu`' and ``--gnits`' strictness.

  ``portability`' warnings are currently disabled by default, but they will be enabled in ``--gnu`' and ``--gnits`' strictness in a future release.

  The environment variable ``WARNINGS`' can contain a comma separated list of categories to enable. It will be taken into account before the command-line switches, this way ``-Wnone`' will also ignore any warning category enabled by ``WARNINGS`'. This variable is also used by other tools like `autoconf`; unknown categories are ignored for this reason.

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# 5. Scanning ``configure.in`'

Automake scans the package's ``configure.in`' to determine certain information about the package. Some `autoconf` macros are required and some variables must be defined in ``configure.in`'. Automake will also use information from ``configure.in`' to further tailor its output.

Automake also supplies some Autoconf macros to make the maintenance easier. These macros can automatically be put into your ``aclocal.m4`' using the `aclocal` program.

> 5.1 Configuration requirements |  |
> 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes |  |
> 5.3 Auto-generating aclocal.m4 |  |
> 5.4 aclocal options |  | aclocal command line arguments
> 5.5 Macro search path |  | Modifying aclocal's search path
> 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake |  |
> 5.7 Writing your own aclocal macros |  |

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## 5.1 Configuration requirements

The one real requirement of Automake is that your ``configure.in`' call `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE`. This macro does several things which are required for proper Automake operation (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake).

Here are the other macros which Automake requires but which are not run by `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE`:

`AC_CONFIG_FILES`
`AC_OUTPUT`
  Automake uses these to determine which files to create (see section `Creating Output Files' in The Autoconf Manual). A listed file is considered to be an Automake generated ``Makefile`' if there exists a file with the same name and the ``.am`' extension appended. Typically, `AC_CONFIG_FILES([foo/Makefile])` will cause Automake to generate ``foo/Makefile.in`' if ``foo/Makefile.am`' exists.

  Other listed files are treated differently. Currently the only difference is that an Automake ``Makefile`' is removed by `make distclean`, while other files are removed by `make clean`.

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## 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes

Every time Automake is run it calls Autoconf to trace ``configure.in`'. This way it can recognize the use of certain macros and tailor the generated ``Makefile.in`' appropriately. Currently recognized macros and their effects are:

`AC_CONFIG_HEADERS`
  Automake will generate rules to rebuild these headers. Older versions of Automake required the use of `AM_CONFIG_HEADER` (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake); this is no longer the case today.

`AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR`
  Automake will look for various helper scripts, such as ``mkinstalldirs`', in the directory named in this macro invocation. If not seen, the scripts are looked for in their ``standard`' locations (either the top source directory, or in the source directory corresponding to the current ``Makefile.am`', whichever is appropriate). See section `Finding `configure' Input' in The Autoconf Manual. FIXME: give complete list of things looked for in this directory

`AC_CANONICAL_HOST`
  Automake will ensure that ``config.guess`' and ``config.sub`' exist. Also, the ``Makefile`' variables ``host_alias`' and ``host_triplet`' are introduced. See section `Getting the Canonical System Type' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM`
  This is similar to `AC_CANONICAL_HOST`, but also defines the ``Makefile`' variables ``build_alias`' and ``target_alias`'. See section `Getting the Canonical System Type' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_LIBSOURCE`
`AC_LIBSOURCES`
`AC_LIBOBJ`
  Automake will automatically distribute any file listed in `AC_LIBSOURCE` or `AC_LIBSOURCES`.

  Note that the `AC_LIBOBJ` macro calls `AC_LIBSOURCE`. So if an Autoconf macro is documented to call `AC_LIBOBJ([file])`, then ``file.c`' will be distributed automatically by Automake. This encompasses many macros like `AC_FUNC_ALLOCA`, `AC_FUNC_MEMCMP`, `AC_REPLACE_FUNCS`, and others.

  By the way, direct assignments to `LIBOBJS` are no longer supported. You should always use `AC_LIBOBJ` for this purpose. See section ``AC_LIBOBJ` vs. `LIBOBJS`' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_PROG_RANLIB`
  This is required if any libraries are built in the package. See section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_PROG_CXX`
  This is required if any C++ source is included. See section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_PROG_F77`
  This is required if any Fortran 77 source is included. This macro is distributed with Autoconf version 2.13 and later. See section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS`
  This is required for programs and shared libraries that are a mixture of languages that include Fortran 77 (see section 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++). See section Autoconf macros supplied with Automake.

`AC_PROG_LIBTOOL`
  Automake will turn on processing for `libtool` (see section `Introduction' in The Libtool Manual).

`AC_PROG_YACC`
  If a Yacc source file is seen, then you must either use this macro or define the variable ``YACC`' in ``configure.in`'. The former is preferred (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual).

`AC_PROG_LEX`
  If a Lex source file is seen, then this macro must be used. See section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual.

`AC_SUBST`
  The first argument is automatically defined as a variable in each generated ``Makefile.in`'. See section `Setting Output Variables' in The Autoconf Manual.

  If the Autoconf manual says that a macro calls `AC_SUBST` for var, or defined the output variable var then var will be defined in each generated ``Makefile.in`'. E.g. `AC_PATH_XTRA` defines `X_CFLAGS` and `X_LIBS`, so you can use the variable in any ``Makefile.am`' if `AC_PATH_XTRA` is called.

`AM_C_PROTOTYPES`
  This is required when using automatic de-ANSI-fication; see 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication.

`AM_GNU_GETTEXT`
  This macro is required for packages which use GNU gettext (see section 11.2 Gettext). It is distributed with gettext. If Automake sees this macro it ensures that the package meets some of gettext's requirements.

`AM_MAINTAINER_MODE`
  This macro adds a ``--enable-maintainer-mode`' option to `configure`. If this is used, `automake` will cause ``maintainer-only`' rules to be turned off by default in the generated ``Makefile.in`'s. This macro defines the ``MAINTAINER_MODE`' conditional, which you can use in your own ``Makefile.am`'.

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## 5.3 Auto-generating aclocal.m4

Automake includes a number of Autoconf macros which can be used in your package; some of them are actually required by Automake in certain situations. These macros must be defined in your ``aclocal.m4`'; otherwise they will not be seen by `autoconf`.

The `aclocal` program will automatically generate ``aclocal.m4`' files based on the contents of ``configure.in`'. This provides a convenient way to get Automake-provided macros, without having to search around. Also, the `aclocal` mechanism allows other packages to supply their own macros.

At startup, `aclocal` scans all the ``.m4`' files it can find, looking for macro definitions (see section 5.5 Macro search path). Then it scans ``configure.in`'. Any mention of one of the macros found in the first step causes that macro, and any macros it in turn requires, to be put into ``aclocal.m4`'.

The contents of ``acinclude.m4`', if it exists, are also automatically included in ``aclocal.m4`'. This is useful for incorporating local macros into ``configure`'.

`aclocal` tries to be smart about looking for new `AC_DEFUN`s in the files it scans. It also tries to copy the full text of the scanned file into ``aclocal.m4`', including both ``#`' and ``dnl`' comments. If you want to make a comment which will be completely ignored by `aclocal`, use ``##`' as the comment leader.

> 5.4 aclocal options |  | Options supported by aclocal
> 5.5 Macro search path |  | How aclocal finds .m4 files

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## 5.4 aclocal options

`aclocal` accepts the following options:

`--acdir=dir`
  Look for the macro files in dir instead of the installation directory. This is typically used for debugging.

`--help`
  Print a summary of the command line options and exit.

`-I dir`
  Add the directory dir to the list of directories searched for ``.m4`' files.

`--output=file`
  Cause the output to be put into file instead of ``aclocal.m4`'.

`--print-ac-dir`
  Prints the name of the directory which `aclocal` will search to find third-party ``.m4`' files. When this option is given, normal processing is suppressed. This option can be used by a package to determine where to install a macro file.

`--verbose`
  Print the names of the files it examines.

`--version`
  Print the version number of Automake and exit.

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## 5.5 Macro search path

By default, `aclocal` searches for ``.m4`' files in the following directories, in this order:

`acdir-APIVERSION`
  This is where the ``.m4`' macros distributed with automake itself are stored. APIVERSION depends on the automake release used; for automake 1.6.x, APIVERSION = `1.6`.

`acdir`
  This directory is intended for third party ``.m4`' files, and is configured when `automake` itself is built. This is ``@datadir@/aclocal/`', which typically expands to ``${prefix}/share/aclocal/`'. To find the compiled-in value of acdir, use the `--print-ac-dir` option (see section 5.4 aclocal options).

As an example, suppose that automake-1.6.2 was configured with `--prefix=/usr/local`. Then, the search path would be:

1. ``/usr/local/share/aclocal-1.6/`'
2. ``/usr/local/share/aclocal/`'

As explained in (see section 5.4 aclocal options), there are several options that can be used to change or extend this search path.

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### 5.5.1 Modifying the macro search path: `--acdir`

The most obvious option to modify the search path is `--acdir=dir`, which changes default directory and drops the APIVERSION directory. For example, if one specifies `--acdir=/opt/private/`, then the search path becomes:

1. ``/opt/private/`'

Note that this option, `--acdir`, is intended for use by the internal automake test suite only; it is not ordinarily needed by end-users.

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### 5.5.2 Modifying the macro search path: `-I dir`

Any extra directories specified using `-I` options (see section 5.4 aclocal options) are prepended to this search list. Thus, `aclocal -I /foo -I /bar` results in the following search path:

1. ``/foo`'
2. ``/bar`'
3. acdir-APIVERSION
4. acdir

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### 5.5.3 Modifying the macro search path: ``dirlist`'

There is a third mechanism for customizing the search path. If a ``dirlist`' file exists in acdir, then that file is assumed to contain a list of directories, one per line, to be added to the search list. These directories are searched after all other directories.

For example, suppose ``acdir/dirlist`' contains the following:

    /test1
    /test2

and that `aclocal` was called with the `-I /foo -I /bar` options. Then, the search path would be

1. ``/foo`'
2. ``/bar`'
3. acdir-APIVERSION
4. acdir
5. ``/test1`'
6. ``/test2`'

If the `--acdir=dir` option is used, then `aclocal` will search for the ``dirlist`' file in dir. In the `--acdir=/opt/private/` example above, `aclocal` would look for ``/opt/private/dirlist`'. Again, however, the `--acdir` option is intended for use by the internal automake test suite only; `--acdir` is not ordinarily needed by end-users.

``dirlist`' is useful in the following situation: suppose that `automake` version `1.6.2` is installed with $prefix=/usr by the system vendor. Thus, the default search directories are

1. ``/usr/share/aclocal-1.6/`'
2. ``/usr/share/aclocal/`'

However, suppose further that many packages have been manually installed on the system, with $prefix=/usr/local, as is typical. In that case, many of these "extra" ``.m4`' files are in ``/usr/local/share/aclocal`'. The only way to force ``/usr/bin/aclocal`' to find these "extra" ``.m4`' files is to always call `aclocal -I /usr/local/share/aclocal`. This is inconvenient. With ``dirlist`', one may create the file

``/usr/share/aclocal/dirlist`'

which contains only the single line

``/usr/local/share/aclocal`'

Now, the "default" search path on the affected system is

1. ``/usr/share/aclocal-1.6/`'
2. ``/usr/share/aclocal/`'
3. ``/usr/local/share/aclocal/`'

without the need for `-I` options; `-I` options can be reserved for project-specific needs (``my-source-dir/m4/`'), rather than using it to work around local system-dependent tool installation directories.

Similarly, ``dirlist`' can be handy if you have installed a local copy Automake on your account and want `aclocal` to look for macros installed at other places on the system.

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## 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake

Automake ships with several Autoconf macros that you can use from your ``configure.in`'. When you use one of them it will be included by `aclocal` in ``aclocal.m4`'.

> 5.6.1 Public macros |  | Macros that you can use.
> 5.6.2 Private macros |  | Macros that you should not use.

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### 5.6.1 Public macros

`AM_CONFIG_HEADER`
  Automake will generate rules to automatically regenerate the config header. This obsolete macro is a synonym of `AC_CONFIG_HEADERS` today (see section 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes).

`AM_ENABLE_MULTILIB`
  This is used when a "multilib" library is being built. The first optional argument is the name of the ``Makefile`' being generated; it defaults to ``Makefile`'. The second option argument is used to find the top source directory; it defaults to the empty string (generally this should not be used unless you are familiar with the internals). See section 18.3 Support for Multilibs.

`AM_C_PROTOTYPES`
  Check to see if function prototypes are understood by the compiler. If so, define ``PROTOTYPES`' and set the output variables ``U`' and ``ANSI2KNR`' to the empty string. Otherwise, set ``U`' to ``_`' and ``ANSI2KNR`' to ``./ansi2knr`'. Automake uses these values to implement automatic de-ANSI-fication.

`AM_HEADER_TIOCGWINSZ_NEEDS_SYS_IOCTL`
  If the use of `TIOCGWINSZ` requires ``<sys/ioctl.h>`', then define `GWINSZ_IN_SYS_IOCTL`. Otherwise `TIOCGWINSZ` can be found in ``<termios.h>`'.

`AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([OPTIONS])`
`AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(PACKAGE, VERSION, [NO-DEFINE])`
  Runs many macros required for proper operation of the generated Makefiles.

  This macro has two forms, the second of which has two required arguments: the package and the version number. This latter form is obsolete because the package and version can be obtained from Autoconf's `AC_INIT` macro (which itself has an old and a new form).

  If your ``configure.in`' has:

      AC_INIT(src/foo.c)
      AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(mumble, 1.5)

  you can modernize it as follow:

      AC_INIT(mumble, 1.5)
      AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(src/foo.c)
      AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE

  Note that if you're upgrading your ``configure.in`' from an earlier version of Automake, it is not always correct to simply move the package and version arguments from `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` directly to `AC_INIT`, as in the example above. The first argument of `AC_INIT` is the name of your package (e.g. ``GNU Automake`'), not the tarball name (e.g. ``automake`') you used to pass to `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE`. Autoconf's rule to derive a tarball name from the package name should work for most but not all packages. Especially, if your tarball name is not all lower case, you will have to use the four-argument form of `AC_INIT` (supported in Autoconf versions greater than 2.52g).

  When `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` is called with a single argument, it is interpreted as a space-separated list of Automake options which should be applied to every ``Makefile.am`' in the tree. The effect is as if each option were listed in `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS`.

  By default this macro `AC_DEFINE`'s ``PACKAGE`' and ``VERSION`'. This can be avoided by passing the ``no-define`' option, as in:

      AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([gnits 1.5 no-define dist-bzip2])

  or by passing a third non-empty argument to the obsolete form.

`AM_PATH_LISPDIR`
  Searches for the program `emacs`, and, if found, sets the output variable `lispdir` to the full path to Emacs' site-lisp directory.

  Note that this test assumes the `emacs` found to be a version that supports Emacs Lisp (such as GNU Emacs or XEmacs). Other emacsen can cause this test to hang (some, like old versions of MicroEmacs, start up in interactive mode, requiring ``C-x C-c`' to exit, which is hardly obvious for a non-emacs user). In most cases, however, you should be able to use ``C-c`' to kill the test. In order to avoid problems, you can set `EMACS` to "no" in the environment, or use the ``--with-lispdir`' option to `configure` to explictly set the correct path (if you're sure you have an `emacs` that supports Emacs Lisp.

`AM_PROG_AS`
  Use this macro when you have assembly code in your project. This will choose the assembler for you (by default the C compiler) and set `CCAS`, and will also set `CCASFLAGS` if required.

`AM_PROG_CC_C_O`
  This is like `AC_PROG_CC_C_O`, but it generates its results in the manner required by automake. You must use this instead of `AC_PROG_CC_C_O` when you need this functionality.

`AM_PROG_CC_STDC`
  If the C compiler is not in ANSI C mode by default, try to add an option to output variable `CC` to make it so. This macro tries various options that select ANSI C on some system or another. It considers the compiler to be in ANSI C mode if it handles function prototypes correctly.

  If you use this macro, you should check after calling it whether the C compiler has been set to accept ANSI C; if not, the shell variable `am_cv_prog_cc_stdc` is set to ``no`'. If you wrote your source code in ANSI C, you can make an un-ANSIfied copy of it by using the `ansi2knr` option (see section 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication).

  This macro is a relic from the time Autoconf didn't offer such a feature. `AM_PROG_CC_STDC`'s logic has now been merged into Autoconf's `AC_PROG_CC` macro, therefore you should use the latter instead. Chances are you are already using `AC_PROG_CC`, so you can simply remove the `AM_PROG_CC_STDC` call and turn all occurrences of `$am_cv_prog_cc_stdc` into `$ac_cv_prog_cc_stdc`. `AM_PROG_CC_STDC` will be marked as obsolete (in the Autoconf sense) in Automake 1.8.

`AM_PROG_LEX`
  Like `AC_PROG_LEX` (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual), but uses the `missing` script on systems that do not have `lex`. ``HP-UX 10`' is one such system.

`AM_PROG_GCJ`
  This macro finds the `gcj` program or causes an error. It sets ``GCJ`' and ``GCJFLAGS`'. `gcj` is the Java front-end to the GNU Compiler Collection.

`AM_SYS_POSIX_TERMIOS`
  Check to see if POSIX termios headers and functions are available on the system. If so, set the shell variable `am_cv_sys_posix_termios` to ``yes`'. If not, set the variable to ``no`'.

`AM_WITH_DMALLOC`
  Add support for the dmalloc package. If the user configures with ``--with-dmalloc`', then define `WITH_DMALLOC` and add ``-ldmalloc`' to `LIBS`.

`AM_WITH_REGEX`
  Adds ``--with-regex`' to the `configure` command line. If specified (the default), then the ``regex`' regular expression library is used, ``regex.o`' is put into ``LIBOBJS`', and ``WITH_REGEX`' is defined. If ``--without-regex`' is given, then the ``rx`' regular expression library is used, and ``rx.o`' is put into ``LIBOBJS`'.

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### 5.6.2 Private macros

The following macros are private macros you should not call directly. They are called by the other public macros when appropriate. Do not rely on them, as they might be changed in a future version. Consider them as implementation details; or better, do not consider them at all: skip this section!

`_AM_DEPENDENCIES`
`AM_SET_DEPDIR`
`AM_DEP_TRACK`
`AM_OUTPUT_DEPENDENCY_COMMANDS`
  These macros are used to implement automake's automatic dependency tracking scheme. They are called automatically by automake when required, and there should be no need to invoke them manually.

`AM_MAKE_INCLUDE`
  This macro is used to discover how the user's `make` handles `include` statements. This macro is automatically invoked when needed; there should be no need to invoke it manually.

`AM_PROG_INSTALL_STRIP`
  This is used to find a version of `install` which can be used to `strip` a program at installation time. This macro is automatically included when required.

`AM_SANITY_CHECK`
  This checks to make sure that a file created in the build directory is newer than a file in the source directory. This can fail on systems where the clock is set incorrectly. This macro is automatically run from `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE`.

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## 5.7 Writing your own aclocal macros

The `aclocal` program doesn't have any built-in knowledge of any macros, so it is easy to extend it with your own macros.

This is mostly used for libraries which want to supply their own Autoconf macros for use by other programs. For instance the `gettext` library supplies a macro `AM_GNU_GETTEXT` which should be used by any package using `gettext`. When the library is installed, it installs this macro so that `aclocal` will find it.

A file of macros should be a series of `AC_DEFUN`'s. The `aclocal` programs also understands `AC_REQUIRE`, so it is safe to put each macro in a separate file. See section `Prerequisite Macros' in The Autoconf Manual, and section `Macro Definitions' in The Autoconf Manual.

A macro file's name should end in ``.m4`'. Such files should be installed in ``aclocal --print-ac-dir`` (which usually happens to be ``$(datadir)/aclocal`').

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# 6. The top-level ``Makefile.am`'

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## 6.1 Recursing subdirectories

In packages with subdirectories, the top level ``Makefile.am`' must tell Automake which subdirectories are to be built. This is done via the `SUBDIRS` variable.

The `SUBDIRS` variable holds a list of subdirectories in which building of various sorts can occur. Many targets (e.g. `all`) in the generated ``Makefile`' will run both locally and in all specified subdirectories. Note that the directories listed in `SUBDIRS` are not required to contain ``Makefile.am`'s; only ``Makefile`'s (after configuration). This allows inclusion of libraries from packages which do not use Automake (such as `gettext`).

In packages that use subdirectories, the top-level ``Makefile.am`' is often very short. For instance, here is the ``Makefile.am`' from the GNU Hello distribution:

    EXTRA_DIST = BUGS ChangeLog.O README-alpha
    SUBDIRS = doc intl po src tests

When Automake invokes `make` in a subdirectory, it uses the value of the `MAKE` variable. It passes the value of the variable `AM_MAKEFLAGS` to the `make` invocation; this can be set in ``Makefile.am`' if there are flags you must always pass to `make`.

The directories mentioned in `SUBDIRS` must be direct children of the current directory. For instance, you cannot put ``src/subdir`' into `SUBDIRS`. Instead you should put `SUBDIRS = subdir` into ``src/Makefile.am`'. Automake can be used to construct packages of arbitrary depth this way.

By default, Automake generates ``Makefiles`' which work depth-first (``postfix`'). However, it is possible to change this ordering. You can do this by putting ``.`' into `SUBDIRS`. For instance, putting ``.`' first will cause a ``prefix`' ordering of directories. All ``clean`' targets are run in reverse order of build targets.

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## 6.2 Conditional subdirectories

It is possible to define the `SUBDIRS` variable conditionally if, like in the case of GNU `Inetutils`, you want to only build a subset of the entire package.

To illustrate how this works, let's assume we have two directories ``src/`' and ``opt/`'. ``src/`' should always be built, but we want to decide in `./configure` whether ``opt/`' will be built or not. (For this example we will assume that ``opt/`' should be built when the variable `$want_opt` was set to `yes`.)

Running `make` should thus recurse into ``src/`' always, and then maybe in ``opt/`'.

However `make dist` should always recurse into both ``src/`' and ``opt/`'. Because ``opt/`' should be distributed even if it is not needed in the current configuration. This means ``opt/Makefile`' should be created unconditionally. (3)

There are two ways to setup a project like this. You can use Automake conditionals (see section 20. Conditionals) or use Autoconf `AC_SUBST` variables (see section `Setting Output Variables' in The Autoconf Manual). Using Automake conditionals is the preferred solution.

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### 6.2.1 Conditional subdirectories with `AM_CONDITIONAL`

``configure`' should output the ``Makefile`' for each directory and define a condition into which ``opt/`' should be built.

    ...
    AM_CONDITIONAL([COND_OPT], [test "$want_opt" = yes])
    AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile opt/Makefile])
    ...

Then `SUBDIRS` can be defined in the top-level ``Makefile.am`' as follows.

    if COND_OPT
      MAYBE_OPT = opt
    endif
    SUBDIRS = src $(MAYBE_OPT)

As you can see, running `make` will rightly recurse into ``src/`' and maybe ``opt/`'.

As you can't see, running `make dist` will recurse into both ``src/`' and ``opt/`' directories because `make dist`, unlike `make all`, doesn't use the `SUBDIRS` variable. It uses the `DIST_SUBDIRS` variable.

In this case Automake will define `DIST_SUBDIRS = src opt` automatically because it knows that `MAYBE_OPT` can contain `opt` in some condition.

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### 6.2.2 Conditional subdirectories with `AC_SUBST`

Another idea is to define `MAYBE_OPT` from ``./configure`' using `AC_SUBST`:

    ...
    if test "$want_opt" = yes; then
      MAYBE_OPT=opt
    else
      MAYBE_OPT=
    fi
    AC_SUBST([MAYBE_OPT])
    AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile opt/Makefile])
    ...

In this case the top-level ``Makefile.am`' should look as follows.

    SUBDIRS = src $(MAYBE_OPT)
    DIST_SUBDIRS = src opt

The drawback is that since Automake cannot guess what the possible values of `MAYBE_OPT` are, it is necessary to define `DIST_SUBDIRS`.

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### 6.2.3 How `DIST_SUBDIRS` is used

As shown in the above examples, `DIST_SUBDIRS` is used by targets that need to recurse in all directories, even those which have been conditionally left out of the build.

Precisely, `DIST_SUBDIRS` is used by `make dist`, `make distclean`, and `make maintainer-clean`. All other recursive targets use `SUBDIRS`.

Automake will define `DIST_SUBDIRS` automatically from the possibles values of `SUBDIRS` in all conditions.

If `SUBDIRS` contains `AC_SUBST` variables, `DIST_SUBDIRS` will not be defined correctly because Automake doesn't know the possible values of these variables. In this case `DIST_SUBDIRS` needs to be defined manually.

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# 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories

If you've ever read Peter Miller's excellent paper, Recursive Make Considered Harmful, the preceding section on the use of subdirectories will probably come as unwelcome advice. For those who haven't read the paper, Miller's main thesis is that recursive `make` invocations are both slow and error-prone.

Automake provides sufficient cross-directory support (4) to enable you to write a single ``Makefile.am`' for a complex multi-directory package.

By default an installable file specified in a subdirectory will have its directory name stripped before installation. For instance, in this example, the header file will be installed as ``$(includedir)/stdio.h`':

    include_HEADERS = inc/stdio.h

However, the ``nobase_`' prefix can be used to circumvent this path stripping. In this example, the header file will be installed as ``$(includedir)/sys/types.h`':

    nobase_include_HEADERS = sys/types.h

``nobase_`' should be specified first when used in conjunction with either ``dist_`' or ``nodist_`' (see section 15. What Goes in a Distribution). For instance:

    nobase_dist_pkgdata_DATA = images/vortex.pgm

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# 8. Rebuilding Makefiles

Automake generates rules to automatically rebuild ``Makefile`'s, ``configure`', and other derived files like ``Makefile.in`'.

If you are using `AM_MAINTAINER_MODE` in ``configure.in`', then these automatic rebuilding rules are only enabled in maintainer mode.

Sometimes you need to run `aclocal` with an argument like `-I` to tell it where to find ``.m4`' files. Since sometimes `make` will automatically run `aclocal`, you need a way to specify these arguments. You can do this by defining `ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS`; this holds arguments which are passed verbatim to `aclocal`. This variable is only useful in the top-level ``Makefile.am`'.

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# 9. Building Programs and Libraries

A large part of Automake's functionality is dedicated to making it easy to build programs and libraries.

> 9.1 Building a program |  |
> 9.2 Building a library |  |
> 9.3 Building a Shared Library |  | Building a Libtool library
> 9.4 Program and Library Variables |  | Variables controlling program and library builds
> 9.5 Special handling for LIBOBJS and ALLOCA |  |
> 9.6 Variables used when building a program |  |
> 9.7 Yacc and Lex support |  |
> 9.8 C++ Support |  |
> 9.9 Assembly Support |  |
> 9.10 Fortran 77 Support |  |
> 9.11 Java Support |  |
> 9.12 Support for Other Languages |  |
> 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication |  |
> 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking |  |
> 9.15 Support for executable extensions |  |

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## 9.1 Building a program

In order to build a program, you need to tell Automake which sources are part of it, and which libraries it should be linked with.

This section also covers conditional compilation of sources or programs. Most of the comments about these also apply to libraries (see section 9.2 Building a library) and Libtool libraries (see section 9.3 Building a Shared Library).

> 9.1.1 Defining program sources |  |
> 9.1.2 Linking the program |  | Linking with libraries or extra objects
> 9.1.3 Conditional compilation of sources |  | Handling conditional sources
> 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs |  | Building program conditionally

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### 9.1.1 Defining program sources

In a directory containing source that gets built into a program (as opposed to a library or a script), the ``PROGRAMS`' primary is used. Programs can be installed in `bindir`, `sbindir`, `libexecdir`, `pkglibdir`, or not at all (``noinst`'). They can also be built only for `make check`, in which case the prefix is ``check`'.

For instance:

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello

In this simple case, the resulting ``Makefile.in`' will contain code to generate a program named `hello`.

Associated with each program are several assisting variables which are named after the program. These variables are all optional, and have reasonable defaults. Each variable, its use, and default is spelled out below; we use the "hello" example throughout.

The variable `hello_SOURCES` is used to specify which source files get built into an executable:

    hello_SOURCES = hello.c version.c getopt.c getopt1.c getopt.h system.h

This causes each mentioned ``.c`' file to be compiled into the corresponding ``.o`'. Then all are linked to produce ``hello`'.

If ``hello_SOURCES`' is not specified, then it defaults to the single file ``hello.c`'; that is, the default is to compile a single C file whose base name is the name of the program itself. (This is a terrible default but we are stuck with it for historical reasons.)

Multiple programs can be built in a single directory. Multiple programs can share a single source file, which must be listed in each ``_SOURCES`' definition.

Header files listed in a ``_SOURCES`' definition will be included in the distribution but otherwise ignored. In case it isn't obvious, you should not include the header file generated by ``configure`' in a ``_SOURCES`' variable; this file should not be distributed. Lex (``.l`') and Yacc (``.y`') files can also be listed; see 9.7 Yacc and Lex support.

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### 9.1.2 Linking the program

If you need to link against libraries that are not found by `configure`, you can use `LDADD` to do so. This variable is used to specify additional objects or libraries to link with; it is inappropriate for specifying specific linker flags, you should use `AM_LDFLAGS` for this purpose.

Sometimes, multiple programs are built in one directory but do not share the same link-time requirements. In this case, you can use the ``prog_LDADD`' variable (where prog is the name of the program as it appears in some ``_PROGRAMS`' variable, and usually written in lowercase) to override the global `LDADD`. If this variable exists for a given program, then that program is not linked using `LDADD`.

For instance, in GNU cpio, `pax`, `cpio` and `mt` are linked against the library ``libcpio.a`'. However, `rmt` is built in the same directory, and has no such link requirement. Also, `mt` and `rmt` are only built on certain architectures. Here is what cpio's ``src/Makefile.am`' looks like (abridged):

    bin_PROGRAMS = cpio pax @MT@
    libexec_PROGRAMS = @RMT@
    EXTRA_PROGRAMS = mt rmt

    LDADD = ../lib/libcpio.a @INTLLIBS@
    rmt_LDADD =

    cpio_SOURCES = ...
    pax_SOURCES = ...
    mt_SOURCES = ...
    rmt_SOURCES = ...

``prog_LDADD`' is inappropriate for passing program-specific linker flags (except for ``-l`', ``-L`', ``-dlopen`' and ``-dlpreopen`'). So, use the ``prog_LDFLAGS`' variable for this purpose.

It is also occasionally useful to have a program depend on some other target which is not actually part of that program. This can be done using the ``prog_DEPENDENCIES`' variable. Each program depends on the contents of such a variable, but no further interpretation is done.

If ``prog_DEPENDENCIES`' is not supplied, it is computed by Automake. The automatically-assigned value is the contents of ``prog_LDADD`', with most configure substitutions, ``-l`', ``-L`', ``-dlopen`' and ``-dlpreopen`' options removed. The configure substitutions that are left in are only ``@LIBOBJS@`' and ``@ALLOCA@`'; these are left because it is known that they will not cause an invalid value for ``prog_DEPENDENCIES`' to be generated.

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### 9.1.3 Conditional compilation of sources

You can't put a configure substitution (e.g., ``@FOO@`') into a ``_SOURCES`' variable. The reason for this is a bit hard to explain, but suffice to say that it simply won't work. Automake will give an error if you try to do this.

Fortunately there are two other ways to achieve the same result. One is to use configure substitutions in `_LDADD` variables, the other is to use an Automake conditional.

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#### 9.1.3.1 Conditional compilation using `_LDADD` substitutions

Automake must know all the source files that could possibly go into a program, even if not all the files are built in every circumstance. Any files which are only conditionally built should be listed in the appropriate ``EXTRA_`' variable. For instance, if ``hello-linux.c`' or ``hello-generic.c`' were conditionally included in `hello`, the ``Makefile.am`' would contain:

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello
    hello_SOURCES = hello-common.c
    EXTRA_hello_SOURCES = hello-linux.c hello-generic.c
    hello_LDADD = @HELLO_SYSTEM@
    hello_DEPENDENCIES = @HELLO_SYSTEM@

You can then setup the `@HELLO_SYSTEM@` substitution from ``configure.in`':

    ...
    case $host in
      *linux*) HELLO_SYSTEM='hello-linux.$(OBJEXT)' ;;
      *)       HELLO_SYSTEM='hello-generic.$(OBJEXT)' ;;
    esac
    AC_SUBST([HELLO_SYSTEM])
    ...

In this case, `HELLO_SYSTEM` should be replaced by ``hello-linux.o`' or ``hello-bsd.o`', and added to `hello_DEPENDENCIES` and `hello_LDADD` in order to be built and linked in.

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#### 9.1.3.2 Conditional compilation using Automake conditionals

An often simpler way to compile source files conditionally is to use Automake conditionals. For instance, you could use this ``Makefile.am`' construct to build the same ``hello`' example:

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello
    if LINUX
    hello_SOURCES = hello-linux.c hello-common.c
    else
    hello_SOURCES = hello-generic.c hello-common.c
    endif

In this case, your ``configure.in`' should setup the `LINUX` conditional using `AM_CONDITIONAL` (see section 20. Conditionals).

When using conditionals like this you don't need to use the ``EXTRA_`' variable, because Automake will examine the contents of each variable to construct the complete list of source files.

If your program uses a lot of files, you will probably prefer a conditional `+=`.

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello
    hello_SOURCES = hello-common.c
    if LINUX
    hello_SOURCES += hello-linux.c
    else
    hello_SOURCES += hello-generic.c
    endif

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### 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs

Sometimes it is useful to determine the programs that are to be built at configure time. For instance, GNU `cpio` only builds `mt` and `rmt` under special circumstances.

In this case, you must notify Automake of all the programs that can possibly be built, but at the same time cause the generated ``Makefile.in`' to use the programs specified by `configure`. This is done by having `configure` substitute values into each ``_PROGRAMS`' definition, while listing all optionally built programs in `EXTRA_PROGRAMS`.

Of course you can use Automake conditionals to determine the programs to be built.

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## 9.2 Building a library

Building a library is much like building a program. In this case, the name of the primary is ``LIBRARIES`'. Libraries can be installed in `libdir` or `pkglibdir`.

See section 9.3 Building a Shared Library, for information on how to build shared libraries using Libtool and the ``LTLIBRARIES`' primary.

Each ``_LIBRARIES`' variable is a list of the libraries to be built. For instance to create a library named ``libcpio.a`', but not install it, you would write:

    noinst_LIBRARIES = libcpio.a

The sources that go into a library are determined exactly as they are for programs, via the ``_SOURCES`' variables. Note that the library name is canonicalized (see section 2.4 How derived variables are named), so the ``_SOURCES`' variable corresponding to ``liblob.a`' is ``liblob_a_SOURCES`', not ``liblob.a_SOURCES`'.

Extra objects can be added to a library using the ``library_LIBADD`' variable. This should be used for objects determined by `configure`. Again from `cpio`:

    libcpio_a_LIBADD = @LIBOBJS@ @ALLOCA@

In addition, sources for extra objects that will not exist until configure-time must be added to the `BUILT_SOURCES` variable (see section 10.4 Built sources).

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## 9.3 Building a Shared Library

Building shared libraries is a relatively complex matter. For this reason, GNU Libtool (see section `Introduction' in The Libtool Manual) was created to help build shared libraries in a platform-independent way.

Automake uses Libtool to build libraries declared with the ``LTLIBRARIES`' primary. Each ``_LTLIBRARIES`' variable is a list of shared libraries to build. For instance, to create a library named ``libgettext.a`' and its corresponding shared libraries, and install them in ``libdir`', write:

    lib_LTLIBRARIES = libgettext.la

Note that shared libraries must be installed in order to work properly, so `check_LTLIBRARIES` is not allowed. However, `noinst_LTLIBRARIES` is allowed. This feature should be used for libtool "convenience libraries".

For each library, the ``library_LIBADD`' variable contains the names of extra libtool objects (``.lo`' files) to add to the shared library. The ``library_LDFLAGS`' variable contains any additional libtool flags, such as ``-version-info`' or ``-static`'.

Where an ordinary library might include `@LIBOBJS@`, a libtool library must use `@LTLIBOBJS@`. This is required because the object files that libtool operates on do not necessarily end in ``.o`'. The libtool manual contains more details on this topic.

For libraries installed in some directory, Automake will automatically supply the appropriate ``-rpath`' option. However, for libraries determined at configure time (and thus mentioned in `EXTRA_LTLIBRARIES`), Automake does not know the eventual installation directory; for such libraries you must add the ``-rpath`' option to the appropriate ``_LDFLAGS`' variable by hand.

Ordinarily, Automake requires that a shared library's name start with ``lib`'. However, if you are building a dynamically loadable module then you might wish to use a "nonstandard" name. In this case, put `-module` into the ``_LDFLAGS`' variable.

See section `The Libtool Manual' in The Libtool Manual, for more information.

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## 9.4 Program and Library Variables

Associated with each program are a collection of variables which can be used to modify how that program is built. There is a similar list of such variables for each library. The canonical name of the program (or library) is used as a base for naming these variables.

In the list below, we use the name "maude" to refer to the program or library. In your ``Makefile.am`' you would replace this with the canonical name of your program. This list also refers to "maude" as a program, but in general the same rules apply for both static and dynamic libraries; the documentation below notes situations where programs and libraries differ.

``maude_SOURCES`'
  This variable, if it exists, lists all the source files which are compiled to build the program. These files are added to the distribution by default. When building the program, Automake will cause each source file to be compiled to a single ``.o`' file (or ``.lo`' when using libtool). Normally these object files are named after the source file, but other factors can change this. If a file in the ``_SOURCES`' variable has an unrecognized extension, Automake will do one of two things with it. If a suffix rule exists for turning files with the unrecognized extension into ``.o`' files, then automake will treat this file as it will any other source file (see section 9.12 Support for Other Languages). Otherwise, the file will be ignored as though it were a header file.

  The prefixes ``dist_`' and ``nodist_`' can be used to control whether files listed in a ``_SOURCES`' variable are distributed. ``dist_`' is redundant, as sources are distributed by default, but it can be specified for clarity if desired.

  It is possible to have both ``dist_`' and ``nodist_`' variants of a given ``_SOURCES`' variable at once; this lets you easily distribute some files and not others, for instance:

      nodist_maude_SOURCES = nodist.c
      dist_maude_SOURCES = dist-me.c

  By default the output file (on Unix systems, the ``.o`' file) will be put into the current build directory. However, if the option `subdir-objects` is in effect in the current directory then the ``.o`' file will be put into the subdirectory named after the source file. For instance, with `subdir-objects` enabled, ``sub/dir/file.c`' will be compiled to ``sub/dir/file.o`'. Some people prefer this mode of operation. You can specify `subdir-objects` in `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS` (see section 17. Changing Automake's Behavior).

``EXTRA_maude_SOURCES`'
  Automake needs to know the list of files you intend to compile statically. For one thing, this is the only way Automake has of knowing what sort of language support a given ``Makefile.in`' requires. (5) This means that, for example, you can't put a configure substitution like ``@my_sources@`' into a ``_SOURCES`' variable. If you intend to conditionally compile source files and use ``configure`' to substitute the appropriate object names into, e.g., ``_LDADD`' (see below), then you should list the corresponding source files in the ``EXTRA_`' variable.

  This variable also supports ``dist_`' and ``nodist_`' prefixes, e.g., ``nodist_EXTRA_maude_SOURCES`'.

``maude_AR`'
  A static library is created by default by invoking `$(AR) cru` followed by the name of the library and then the objects being put into the library. You can override this by setting the ``_AR`' variable. This is usually used with C++; some C++ compilers require a special invocation in order to instantiate all the templates which should go into a library. For instance, the SGI C++ compiler likes this variable set like so:

      libmaude_a_AR = $(CXX) -ar -o

``maude_LIBADD`'
  Extra objects can be added to a library using the ``_LIBADD`' variable. This should be used for objects determined by `configure`.

``maude_LDADD`'
  Extra objects can be added to a shared library or a program by listing them in the ``_LDADD`' variable. This should be used for objects determined by `configure`.

  ``_LDADD`' and ``_LIBADD`' are inappropriate for passing program-specific linker flags (except for ``-l`', ``-L`', ``-dlopen`' and ``-dlpreopen`'). Use the ``_LDFLAGS`' variable for this purpose.

  For instance, if your ``configure.in`' uses `AC_PATH_XTRA`, you could link your program against the X libraries like so:

      maude_LDADD = $(X_PRE_LIBS) $(X_LIBS) $(X_EXTRA_LIBS)

``maude_LDFLAGS`'
  This variable is used to pass extra flags to the link step of a program or a shared library.

``maude_LINK`'
  You can override the linker on a per-program basis. By default the linker is chosen according to the languages used by the program. For instance, a program that includes C++ source code would use the C++ compiler to link. The ``_LINK`' variable must hold the name of a command which can be passed all the ``.o`' file names as arguments. Note that the name of the underlying program is not passed to ``_LINK`'; typically one uses ``$@`':

      maude_LINK = $(CCLD) -magic -o $@

``maude_CCASFLAGS`'
``maude_CFLAGS`'
``maude_CPPFLAGS`'
``maude_CXXFLAGS`'
``maude_FFLAGS`'
``maude_GCJFLAGS`'
``maude_LFLAGS`'
``maude_OBJCFLAGS`'
``maude_RFLAGS`'
``maude_YFLAGS`'
  Automake allows you to set compilation flags on a per-program (or per-library) basis. A single source file can be included in several programs, and it will potentially be compiled with different flags for each program. This works for any language directly supported by Automake. The flags are ``_CCASFLAGS`', ``_CFLAGS`', ``_CPPFLAGS`', ``_CXXFLAGS`', ``_FFLAGS`', ``_GCJFLAGS`', ``_LFLAGS`', ``_OBJCFLAGS`', ``_RFLAGS`', and ``_YFLAGS`'.

  When using a per-program compilation flag, Automake will choose a different name for the intermediate object files. Ordinarily a file like ``sample.c`' will be compiled to produce ``sample.o`'. However, if the program's ``_CFLAGS`' variable is set, then the object file will be named, for instance, ``maude-sample.o`'.

  In compilations with per-program flags, the ordinary ``AM_`' form of the flags variable is not automatically included in the compilation (however, the user form of the variable is included). So for instance, if you want the hypothetical ``maude`' compilations to also use the value of ``AM_CFLAGS`', you would need to write:

      maude_CFLAGS = ... your flags ... $(AM_CFLAGS)

``maude_DEPENDENCIES`'
  It is also occasionally useful to have a program depend on some other target which is not actually part of that program. This can be done using the ``_DEPENDENCIES`' variable. Each program depends on the contents of such a variable, but no further interpretation is done.

  If ``_DEPENDENCIES`' is not supplied, it is computed by Automake. The automatically-assigned value is the contents of ``_LDADD`' or ``_LIBADD`', with most configure substitutions, ``-l`', ``-L`', ``-dlopen`' and ``-dlpreopen`' options removed. The configure substitutions that are left in are only ``@LIBOBJS@`' and ``@ALLOCA@`'; these are left because it is known that they will not cause an invalid value for ``_DEPENDENCIES`' to be generated.

``maude_SHORTNAME`'
  On some platforms the allowable file names are very short. In order to support these systems and per-program compilation flags at the same time, Automake allows you to set a "short name" which will influence how intermediate object files are named. For instance, if you set ``maude_SHORTNAME`' to ``m`', then in the above per-program compilation flag example the object file would be named ``m-sample.o`' rather than ``maude-sample.o`'. This facility is rarely needed in practice, and we recommend avoiding it until you find it is required.

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## 9.5 Special handling for LIBOBJS and ALLOCA

Automake explicitly recognizes the use of `@LIBOBJS@` and `@ALLOCA@`, and uses this information, plus the list of `LIBOBJS` files derived from ``configure.in`' to automatically include the appropriate source files in the distribution (see section 15. What Goes in a Distribution). These source files are also automatically handled in the dependency-tracking scheme; see See section 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking.

`@LIBOBJS@` and `@ALLOCA@` are specially recognized in any ``_LDADD`' or ``_LIBADD`' variable.

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## 9.6 Variables used when building a program

Occasionally it is useful to know which ``Makefile`' variables Automake uses for compilations; for instance you might need to do your own compilation in some special cases.

Some variables are inherited from Autoconf; these are `CC`, `CFLAGS`, `CPPFLAGS`, `DEFS`, `LDFLAGS`, and `LIBS`.

There are some additional variables which Automake itself defines:

`AM_CPPFLAGS`
  The contents of this variable are passed to every compilation which invokes the C preprocessor; it is a list of arguments to the preprocessor. For instance, ``-I`' and ``-D`' options should be listed here.

  Automake already provides some ``-I`' options automatically. In particular it generates ``-I$(srcdir)`', ``-I.`', and a ``-I`' pointing to the directory holding ``config.h`' (if you've used `AC_CONFIG_HEADERS` or `AM_CONFIG_HEADER`). You can disable the default ``-I`' options using the ``nostdinc`' option.

  `AM_CPPFLAGS` is ignored in preference to a per-executable (or per-library) `_CPPFLAGS` variable if it is defined.

`INCLUDES`
  This does the same job as ``AM_CPPFLAGS`'. It is an older name for the same functionality. This variable is deprecated; we suggest using ``AM_CPPFLAGS`' instead.

`AM_CFLAGS`
  This is the variable which the ``Makefile.am`' author can use to pass in additional C compiler flags. It is more fully documented elsewhere. In some situations, this is not used, in preference to the per-executable (or per-library) `_CFLAGS`.

`COMPILE`
  This is the command used to actually compile a C source file. The filename is appended to form the complete command line.

`AM_LDFLAGS`
  This is the variable which the ``Makefile.am`' author can use to pass in additional linker flags. In some situations, this is not used, in preference to the per-executable (or per-library) `_LDFLAGS`.

`LINK`
  This is the command used to actually link a C program. It already includes ``-o $@`' and the usual variable references (for instance, `CFLAGS`); it takes as "arguments" the names of the object files and libraries to link in.

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## 9.7 Yacc and Lex support

Automake has somewhat idiosyncratic support for Yacc and Lex.

Automake assumes that the ``.c`' file generated by `yacc` (or `lex`) should be named using the basename of the input file. That is, for a yacc source file ``foo.y`', Automake will cause the intermediate file to be named ``foo.c`' (as opposed to ``y.tab.c`', which is more traditional).

The extension of a yacc source file is used to determine the extension of the resulting ``C`' or ``C++`' file. Files with the extension ``.y`' will be turned into ``.c`' files; likewise, ``.yy`' will become ``.cc`'; ``.y++`', ``c++`'; and ``.yxx`', ``.cxx`'.

Likewise, lex source files can be used to generate ``C`' or ``C++`'; the extensions ``.l`', ``.ll`', ``.l++`', and ``.lxx`' are recognized.

You should never explicitly mention the intermediate (``C`' or ``C++`') file in any ``SOURCES`' variable; only list the source file.

The intermediate files generated by `yacc` (or `lex`) will be included in any distribution that is made. That way the user doesn't need to have `yacc` or `lex`.

If a `yacc` source file is seen, then your ``configure.in`' must define the variable ``YACC`'. This is most easily done by invoking the macro ``AC_PROG_YACC`' (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual).

When `yacc` is invoked, it is passed ``YFLAGS`' and ``AM_YFLAGS`'. The former is a user variable and the latter is intended for the ``Makefile.am`' author.

Similarly, if a `lex` source file is seen, then your ``configure.in`' must define the variable ``LEX`'. You can use ``AC_PROG_LEX`' to do this (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual), but using `AM_PROG_LEX` macro (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake) is recommended.

When `lex` is invoked, it is passed ``LFLAGS`' and ``AM_LFLAGS`'. The former is a user variable and the latter is intended for the ``Makefile.am`' author.

Automake makes it possible to include multiple `yacc` (or `lex`) source files in a single program. When there is more than one distinct `yacc` (or `lex`) source file in a directory, Automake uses a small program called `ylwrap` to run `yacc` (or `lex`) in a subdirectory. This is necessary because yacc's output filename is fixed, and a parallel make could conceivably invoke more than one instance of `yacc` simultaneously. The `ylwrap` program is distributed with Automake. It should appear in the directory specified by ``AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR`' (see section `Finding `configure' Input' in The Autoconf Manual), or the current directory if that macro is not used in ``configure.in`'.

For `yacc`, simply managing locking is insufficient. The output of `yacc` always uses the same symbol names internally, so it isn't possible to link two `yacc` parsers into the same executable.

We recommend using the following renaming hack used in `gdb`:

    #define	yymaxdepth c_maxdepth
    #define	yyparse	c_parse
    #define	yylex	c_lex
    #define	yyerror	c_error
    #define	yylval	c_lval
    #define	yychar	c_char
    #define	yydebug	c_debug
    #define	yypact	c_pact
    #define	yyr1	c_r1
    #define	yyr2	c_r2
    #define	yydef	c_def
    #define	yychk	c_chk
    #define	yypgo	c_pgo
    #define	yyact	c_act
    #define	yyexca	c_exca
    #define yyerrflag c_errflag
    #define yynerrs	c_nerrs
    #define	yyps	c_ps
    #define	yypv	c_pv
    #define	yys	c_s
    #define	yy_yys	c_yys
    #define	yystate	c_state
    #define	yytmp	c_tmp
    #define	yyv	c_v
    #define	yy_yyv	c_yyv
    #define	yyval	c_val
    #define	yylloc	c_lloc
    #define yyreds	c_reds
    #define yytoks	c_toks
    #define yylhs	c_yylhs
    #define yylen	c_yylen
    #define yydefred c_yydefred
    #define yydgoto	c_yydgoto
    #define yysindex c_yysindex
    #define yyrindex c_yyrindex
    #define yygindex c_yygindex
    #define yytable	 c_yytable
    #define yycheck	 c_yycheck
    #define yyname   c_yyname
    #define yyrule   c_yyrule

For each define, replace the ``c_`' prefix with whatever you like. These defines work for `bison`, `byacc`, and traditional `yacc`s. If you find a parser generator that uses a symbol not covered here, please report the new name so it can be added to the list.

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## 9.8 C++ Support

Automake includes full support for C++.

Any package including C++ code must define the output variable ``CXX`' in ``configure.in`'; the simplest way to do this is to use the `AC_PROG_CXX` macro (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual).

A few additional variables are defined when a C++ source file is seen:

`CXX`
  The name of the C++ compiler.

`CXXFLAGS`
  Any flags to pass to the C++ compiler.

`AM_CXXFLAGS`
  The maintainer's variant of `CXXFLAGS`.

`CXXCOMPILE`
  The command used to actually compile a C++ source file. The file name is appended to form the complete command line.

`CXXLINK`
  The command used to actually link a C++ program.

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## 9.9 Assembly Support

Automake includes some support for assembly code.

The variable `CCAS` holds the name of the compiler used to build assembly code. This compiler must work a bit like a C compiler; in particular it must accept ``-c`' and ``-o`'. The value of `CCASFLAGS` is passed to the compilation.

You are required to set `CCAS` and `CCASFLAGS` via ``configure.in`'. The autoconf macro `AM_PROG_AS` will do this for you. Unless they are already set, it simply sets `CCAS` to the C compiler and `CCASFLAGS` to the C compiler flags.

Only the suffixes ``.s`' and ``.S`' are recognized by `automake` as being files containing assembly code.

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## 9.10 Fortran 77 Support

Automake includes full support for Fortran 77.

Any package including Fortran 77 code must define the output variable ``F77`' in ``configure.in`'; the simplest way to do this is to use the `AC_PROG_F77` macro (see section `Particular Program Checks' in The Autoconf Manual). See section 9.10.4 Fortran 77 and Autoconf.

A few additional variables are defined when a Fortran 77 source file is seen:

`F77`
  The name of the Fortran 77 compiler.

`FFLAGS`
  Any flags to pass to the Fortran 77 compiler.

`AM_FFLAGS`
  The maintainer's variant of `FFLAGS`.

`RFLAGS`
  Any flags to pass to the Ratfor compiler.

`AM_RFLAGS`
  The maintainer's variant of `RFLAGS`.

`F77COMPILE`
  The command used to actually compile a Fortran 77 source file. The file name is appended to form the complete command line.

`FLINK`
  The command used to actually link a pure Fortran 77 program or shared library.

Automake can handle preprocessing Fortran 77 and Ratfor source files in addition to compiling them(6). Automake also contains some support for creating programs and shared libraries that are a mixture of Fortran 77 and other languages (see section 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++).

These issues are covered in the following sections.

> 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77 |  |
> 9.10.2 Compiling Fortran 77 Files |  |
> 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++ |  |
> 9.10.4 Fortran 77 and Autoconf |  |

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### 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77

``N.f`' is made automatically from ``N.F`' or ``N.r`'. This rule runs just the preprocessor to convert a preprocessable Fortran 77 or Ratfor source file into a strict Fortran 77 source file. The precise command used is as follows:

``.F`'
  `$(F77) -F $(DEFS) $(INCLUDES) $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(AM_FFLAGS) $(FFLAGS)`

``.r`'
  `$(F77) -F $(AM_FFLAGS) $(FFLAGS) $(AM_RFLAGS) $(RFLAGS)`

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### 9.10.2 Compiling Fortran 77 Files

``N.o`' is made automatically from ``N.f`', ``N.F`' or ``N.r`' by running the Fortran 77 compiler. The precise command used is as follows:

``.f`'
  `$(F77) -c $(AM_FFLAGS) $(FFLAGS)`

``.F`'
  `$(F77) -c $(DEFS) $(INCLUDES) $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(AM_FFLAGS) $(FFLAGS)`

``.r`'
  `$(F77) -c $(AM_FFLAGS) $(FFLAGS) $(AM_RFLAGS) $(RFLAGS)`

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### 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++

Automake currently provides limited support for creating programs and shared libraries that are a mixture of Fortran 77 and C and/or C++. However, there are many other issues related to mixing Fortran 77 with other languages that are not (currently) handled by Automake, but that are handled by other packages(7).

Automake can help in two ways:

1. Automatic selection of the linker depending on which combinations of source code.

2. Automatic selection of the appropriate linker flags (e.g. ``-L`' and ``-l`') to pass to the automatically selected linker in order to link in the appropriate Fortran 77 intrinsic and run-time libraries.

   These extra Fortran 77 linker flags are supplied in the output variable `FLIBS` by the `AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS` Autoconf macro supplied with newer versions of Autoconf (Autoconf version 2.13 and later). See section `Fortran 77 Compiler Characteristics' in The Autoconf.

If Automake detects that a program or shared library (as mentioned in some `_PROGRAMS` or `_LTLIBRARIES` primary) contains source code that is a mixture of Fortran 77 and C and/or C++, then it requires that the macro `AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS` be called in ``configure.in`', and that either `$(FLIBS)` or `@FLIBS@` appear in the appropriate `_LDADD` (for programs) or `_LIBADD` (for shared libraries) variables. It is the responsibility of the person writing the ``Makefile.am`' to make sure that `$(FLIBS)` or `@FLIBS@` appears in the appropriate `_LDADD` or `_LIBADD` variable.

For example, consider the following ``Makefile.am`':

    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES  = main.cc foo.f
    foo_LDADD    = libfoo.la @FLIBS@

    pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libfoo.la
    libfoo_la_SOURCES  = bar.f baz.c zardoz.cc
    libfoo_la_LIBADD   = $(FLIBS)

In this case, Automake will insist that `AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS` is mentioned in ``configure.in`'. Also, if `@FLIBS@` hadn't been mentioned in `foo_LDADD` and `libfoo_la_LIBADD`, then Automake would have issued a warning.

> 9.10.3.1 How the Linker is Chosen |  |

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#### 9.10.3.1 How the Linker is Chosen

The following diagram demonstrates under what conditions a particular linker is chosen by Automake.

For example, if Fortran 77, C and C++ source code were to be compiled into a program, then the C++ linker will be used. In this case, if the C or Fortran 77 linkers required any special libraries that weren't included by the C++ linker, then they must be manually added to an `_LDADD` or `_LIBADD` variable by the user writing the ``Makefile.am`'.

                         \              Linker
              source      \
               code        \     C        C++     Fortran
         -----------------  +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
         C                  |    x    |         |         |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
             C++            |         |    x    |         |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
                   Fortran  |         |         |    x    |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
         C + C++            |         |    x    |         |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
         C +       Fortran  |         |         |    x    |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
             C++ + Fortran  |         |    x    |         |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+
                            |         |         |         |
         C + C++ + Fortran  |         |    x    |         |
                            |         |         |         |
                            +---------+---------+---------+

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### 9.10.4 Fortran 77 and Autoconf

The current Automake support for Fortran 77 requires a recent enough version of Autoconf that also includes support for Fortran 77. Full Fortran 77 support was added to Autoconf 2.13, so you will want to use that version of Autoconf or later.

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## 9.11 Java Support

Automake includes support for compiled Java, using `gcj`, the Java front end to the GNU Compiler Collection.

Any package including Java code to be compiled must define the output variable ``GCJ`' in ``configure.in`'; the variable ``GCJFLAGS`' must also be defined somehow (either in ``configure.in`' or ``Makefile.am`'). The simplest way to do this is to use the `AM_PROG_GCJ` macro.

By default, programs including Java source files are linked with `gcj`.

As always, the contents of ``AM_GCJFLAGS`' are passed to every compilation invoking `gcj` (in its role as an ahead-of-time compiler -- when invoking it to create ``.class`' files, ``AM_JAVACFLAGS`' is used instead). If it is necessary to pass options to `gcj` from ``Makefile.am`', this variable, and not the user variable ``GCJFLAGS`', should be used.

`gcj` can be used to compile ``.java`', ``.class`', ``.zip`', or ``.jar`' files.

When linking, `gcj` requires that the main class be specified using the ``--main=`' option. The easiest way to do this is to use the `_LDFLAGS` variable for the program.

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## 9.12 Support for Other Languages

Automake currently only includes full support for C, C++ (see section 9.8 C++ Support), Fortran 77 (see section 9.10 Fortran 77 Support), and Java (see section 9.11 Java Support). There is only rudimentary support for other languages, support for which will be improved based on user demand.

Some limited support for adding your own languages is available via the suffix rule handling; see 18.2 Handling new file extensions.

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## 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication

Although the GNU standards allow the use of ANSI C, this can have the effect of limiting portability of a package to some older compilers (notably the SunOS C compiler).

Automake allows you to work around this problem on such machines by de-ANSI-fying each source file before the actual compilation takes place.

If the ``Makefile.am`' variable `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS` (see section 17. Changing Automake's Behavior) contains the option `ansi2knr` then code to handle de-ANSI-fication is inserted into the generated ``Makefile.in`'.

This causes each C source file in the directory to be treated as ANSI C. If an ANSI C compiler is available, it is used. If no ANSI C compiler is available, the `ansi2knr` program is used to convert the source files into K&R C, which is then compiled.

The `ansi2knr` program is simple-minded. It assumes the source code will be formatted in a particular way; see the `ansi2knr` man page for details.

Support for de-ANSI-fication requires the source files ``ansi2knr.c`' and ``ansi2knr.1`' to be in the same package as the ANSI C source; these files are distributed with Automake. Also, the package ``configure.in`' must call the macro `AM_C_PROTOTYPES` (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake).

Automake also handles finding the `ansi2knr` support files in some other directory in the current package. This is done by prepending the relative path to the appropriate directory to the `ansi2knr` option. For instance, suppose the package has ANSI C code in the ``src`' and ``lib`' subdirs. The files ``ansi2knr.c`' and ``ansi2knr.1`' appear in ``lib`'. Then this could appear in ``src/Makefile.am`':

    AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = ../lib/ansi2knr

If no directory prefix is given, the files are assumed to be in the current directory.

Files mentioned in `LIBOBJS` which need de-ANSI-fication will not be automatically handled. That's because `configure` will generate an object name like ``regex.o`', while `make` will be looking for ``regex_.o`' (when de-ANSI-fying). Eventually this problem will be fixed via `autoconf` magic, but for now you must put this code into your ``configure.in`', just before the `AC_OUTPUT` call:

    # This is necessary so that .o files in LIBOBJS are also built via
    # the ANSI2KNR-filtering rules.
    LIBOBJS=`echo $LIBOBJS|sed 's/\.o /\$U.o /g;s/\.o$/\$U.o/'`

Note that automatic de-ANSI-fication will not work when the package is being built for a different host architecture. That is because automake currently has no way to build `ansi2knr` for the build machine.

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## 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking

As a developer it is often painful to continually update the ``Makefile.in`' whenever the include-file dependencies change in a project. Automake supplies a way to automatically track dependency changes.

Automake always uses complete dependencies for a compilation, including system headers. Automake's model is that dependency computation should be a side effect of the build. To this end, dependencies are computed by running all compilations through a special wrapper program called `depcomp`. `depcomp` understands how to coax many different C and C++ compilers into generating dependency information in the format it requires. `automake -a` will install `depcomp` into your source tree for you. If `depcomp` can't figure out how to properly invoke your compiler, dependency tracking will simply be disabled for your build.

Experience with earlier versions of Automake (8) taught us that it is not reliable to generate dependencies only on the maintainer's system, as configurations vary too much. So instead Automake implements dependency tracking at build time.

Automatic dependency tracking can be suppressed by putting `no-dependencies` in the variable `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS`, or passing `no-dependencies` as an argument to `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` (this should be the prefered way). Or, you can invoke `automake` with the `-i` option. Dependency tracking is enabled by default.

The person building your package also can choose to disable dependency tracking by configuring with `--disable-dependency-tracking`.

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## 9.15 Support for executable extensions

On some platforms, such as Windows, executables are expected to have an extension such as ``.exe`'. On these platforms, some compilers (GCC among them) will automatically generate ``foo.exe`' when asked to generate ``foo`'.

Automake provides mostly-transparent support for this. Unfortunately mostly doesn't yet mean fully. Until the English dictionary is revised, you will have to assist Automake if your package must support those platforms.

One thing you must be aware of is that, internally, Automake rewrites something like this:

    bin_PROGRAMS = liver

to this:

    bin_PROGRAMS = liver$(EXEEXT)

The targets Automake generates are likewise given the ``$(EXEEXT)`' extension. `EXEEXT`

However, Automake cannot apply this rewriting to `configure` substitutions. This means that if you are conditionally building a program using such a substitution, then your ``configure.in`' must take care to add ``$(EXEEXT)`' when constructing the output variable.

With Autoconf 2.13 and earlier, you must explicitly use `AC_EXEEXT` to get this support. With Autoconf 2.50, `AC_EXEEXT` is run automatically if you configure a compiler (say, through `AC_PROG_CC`).

Sometimes maintainers like to write an explicit link rule for their program. Without executable extension support, this is easy--you simply write a target with the same name as the program. However, when executable extension support is enabled, you must instead add the ``$(EXEEXT)`' suffix.

Unfortunately, due to the change in Autoconf 2.50, this means you must always add this extension. However, this is a problem for maintainers who know their package will never run on a platform that has executable extensions. For those maintainers, the `no-exeext` option (see section 17. Changing Automake's Behavior) will disable this feature. This works in a fairly ugly way; if `no-exeext` is seen, then the presence of a target named `foo` in ``Makefile.am`' will override an automake-generated target of the form `foo$(EXEEXT)`. Without the `no-exeext` option, this use will give an error.

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# 10. Other Derived Objects

Automake can handle derived objects which are not C programs. Sometimes the support for actually building such objects must be explicitly supplied, but Automake will still automatically handle installation and distribution.

> 10.1 Executable Scripts |  | Executable scripts
> 10.2 Header files |  |
> 10.3 Architecture-independent data files |  |
> 10.4 Built sources |  | Derived sources

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## 10.1 Executable Scripts

It is possible to define and install programs which are scripts. Such programs are listed using the ``SCRIPTS`' primary name. Automake doesn't define any dependencies for scripts; the ``Makefile.am`' should include the appropriate rules.

Automake does not assume that scripts are derived objects; such objects must be deleted by hand (see section 14. What Gets Cleaned).

The `automake` program itself is a Perl script that is generated at configure time from ``automake.in`'. Here is how this is handled:

    bin_SCRIPTS = automake

Since `automake` appears in the `AC_OUTPUT` macro, a target for it is automatically generated, and it is also automatically cleaned (despite the fact it's a script).

Script objects can be installed in `bindir`, `sbindir`, `libexecdir`, or `pkgdatadir`.

Scripts that need not being installed can be listed in `noinst_SCRIPTS`, and among them, those which are needed only by `make check` should go in `check_SCRIPTS`.

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## 10.2 Header files

Header files are specified by the ``HEADERS`' family of variables. Generally header files are not installed, so the `noinst_HEADERS` variable will be the most used. (9)

All header files must be listed somewhere; missing ones will not appear in the distribution. Often it is clearest to list uninstalled headers with the rest of the sources for a program. See section 9.1 Building a program. Headers listed in a ``_SOURCES`' variable need not be listed in any ``_HEADERS`' variable.

Headers can be installed in `includedir`, `oldincludedir`, or `pkgincludedir`.

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## 10.3 Architecture-independent data files

Automake supports the installation of miscellaneous data files using the ``DATA`' family of variables.

Such data can be installed in the directories `datadir`, `sysconfdir`, `sharedstatedir`, `localstatedir`, or `pkgdatadir`.

By default, data files are not included in a distribution. Of course, you can use the ``dist_`' prefix to change this on a per-variable basis.

Here is how Automake declares its auxiliary data files:

    dist_pkgdata_DATA = clean-kr.am clean.am ...

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## 10.4 Built sources

Because Automake's automatic dependency tracking works as a side-effect of compilation (see section 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking) there is a bootstrap issue: a target should not be compiled before its dependencies are made, but these dependencies are unknown until the target is first compiled.

Ordinarily this is not a problem, because dependencies are distributed sources: they preexist and do not need to be built. Suppose that ``foo.c`' includes ``foo.h`'. When it first compiles ``foo.o`', `make` only knows that ``foo.o`' depends on ``foo.c`'. As a side-effect of this compilation `depcomp` records the ``foo.h`' dependency so that following invocations of `make` will honor it. In these conditions, it's clear there is no problem: either ``foo.o`' doesn't exist and has to be built (regardless of the dependencies), either accurate dependencies exist and they can be used to decide whether ``foo.o`' should be rebuilt.

It's a different story if ``foo.h`' doesn't exist by the first `make` run. For instance there might be a rule to build ``foo.h`'. This time ``file.o`''s build will fail because the compiler can't find ``foo.h`'. `make` failed to trigger the rule to build ``foo.h`' first by lack of dependency information.

The `BUILT_SOURCES` variable is a workaround for this problem. A source file listed in `BUILT_SOURCES` is made on `make all` or `make check` before other targets are processed. However, such a source file is not compiled unless explicitly requested by mentioning it in some other ``_SOURCES`' variable.

So, to conclude our introductory example, we could use `BUILT_SOURCES = foo.h` to ensure ``foo.h`' gets built before any other target (including ``foo.o`') during `make all` or `make check`.

`BUILT_SOURCES` is actually a bit of a misnomer, as any file which must be created early in the build process can be listed in this variable. Moreover, all built sources do not necessarily have to be listed in `BUILT_SOURCES`. For instance a generated ``.c`' file doesn't need to appear in `BUILT_SOURCES` (unless it is included by another source), because it's a known dependency of the associated object.

It might be important to emphasize that `BUILT_SOURCES` is honored only by `make all` and `make check`. This means you cannot build a specific target (e.g., `make foo`) in a clean tree if it depends on a built source. However if it will succeed if you have run `make all` earlier, because accurate dependencies are already available.

The next section illustrates and discusses the handling of built sources on a toy example.

> 10.4.1 Built sources example |  | Several ways to handle built sources.

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### 10.4.1 Built sources example

Suppose that ``foo.c`' includes ``bindir.h`', which is installation-dependent and not distributed: it needs to be built. Here ``bindir.h`' defines the preprocessor macro `bindir` to the value of the `make` variable `bindir` (inherited from ``configure`').

We suggest several implementations below. It's not meant to be an exhaustive listing of all ways to handle built sources, but it will give you a few ideas if you encounter this issue.

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### First try

This first implementation will illustrate the bootstrap issue mentioned in the previous section (see section 10.4 Built sources).

Here is a tentative ``Makefile.am`'.

    # This won't work.
    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES = foo.c
    nodist_foo_SOURCES = bindir.h
    CLEANFILES = bindir.h
    bindir.h: Makefile
            echo '#define bindir "$(bindir)"' >$@

This setup doesn't work, because Automake doesn't know that ``foo.c`' includes ``bindir.h`'. Remember, automatic dependency tracking works as a side-effect of compilation, so the dependencies of ``foo.o`' will be known only after ``foo.o`' has been compiled (see section 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking). The symptom is as follows.

    % make
    source='foo.c' object='foo.o' libtool=no \
    depfile='.deps/foo.Po' tmpdepfile='.deps/foo.TPo' \
    depmode=gcc /bin/sh ./depcomp \
    gcc -I. -I. -g -O2 -c `test -f 'foo.c' || echo './'`foo.c
    foo.c:2: bindir.h: No such file or directory
    make: *** [foo.o] Error 1

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### Using `BUILT_SOURCES`

A solution is to require ``bindir.h`' to be built before anything else. This is what `BUILT_SOURCES` is meant for (see section 10.4 Built sources).

    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES = foo.c
    BUILT_SOURCES = bindir.h
    CLEANFILES = bindir.h
    bindir.h: Makefile
            echo '#define bindir "$(bindir)"' >$@

See how ``bindir.h`' get built first:

    % make
    echo '#define bindir "/usr/local/bin"' >bindir.h
    make  all-am
    make[1]: Entering directory `/home/adl/tmp'
    source='foo.c' object='foo.o' libtool=no \
    depfile='.deps/foo.Po' tmpdepfile='.deps/foo.TPo' \
    depmode=gcc /bin/sh ./depcomp \
    gcc -I. -I. -g -O2 -c `test -f 'foo.c' || echo './'`foo.c
    gcc  -g -O2   -o foo  foo.o
    make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/adl/tmp'

However, as said earlier, `BUILT_SOURCES` applies only to the `all` and `check` targets. It still fails if you try to run `make foo` explicitly:

    % make clean
    test -z "bindir.h" || rm -f bindir.h
    test -z "foo" || rm -f foo
    rm -f *.o core *.core
    % : > .deps/foo.Po # Suppress previously recorded dependencies
    % make foo
    source='foo.c' object='foo.o' libtool=no \
    depfile='.deps/foo.Po' tmpdepfile='.deps/foo.TPo' \
    depmode=gcc /bin/sh ./depcomp \
    gcc -I. -I. -g -O2 -c `test -f 'foo.c' || echo './'`foo.c
    foo.c:2: bindir.h: No such file or directory
    make: *** [foo.o] Error 1

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### Recording dependencies manually

Usually people are happy enough with `BUILT_SOURCES` because they never run targets such as `make foo` before `make all`, as in the previous example. However if this matters to you, you can avoid `BUILT_SOURCES` and record such dependencies explicitly in the ``Makefile.am`'.

    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES = foo.c
    foo.$(OBJEXT): bindir.h
    CLEANFILES = bindir.h
    bindir.h: Makefile
            echo '#define bindir "$(bindir)"' >$@

You don't have to list all the dependencies of `foo.o` explicitly, only those which might need to be built. If a dependency already exists, it will not hinder the first compilation and will be recorded by the normal dependency tracking code. (Note that after this first compilation the dependency tracking code will also have recorded the dependency between `foo.o` and `bindir.h`; so our explicit dependency is really useful to the first build only.)

Adding explicit dependencies like this can be a bit dangerous if you are not careful enough. This is due to the way Automake tries not to overwrite your rules (it assumes you know better than it). `foo.$(OBJEXT): bindir.h` supersedes any rule Automake may want to output to build `foo.$(OBJEXT)`. It happens to work in this case because Automake doesn't have to output any `foo.$(OBJEXT):` target: it relies on a suffix rule instead (i.e., `.c.$(OBJEXT):`). Always check the generated ``Makefile.in`' if you do this.

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### Build ``bindir.h`' from ``configure`'

It's possible to define this preprocessor macro from ``configure`', either in ``config.h`' (see section `Defining Directories' in The Autoconf Manual), or by processing a ``bindir.h.in`' file using `AC_CONFIG_FILES` (see section `Configuration Actions' in The Autoconf Manual).

At this point it should be clear that building ``bindir.h`' from ``configure`' work well for this example. ``bindir.h`' will exist before you build any target, hence will not cause any dependency issue.

The Makefile can be shrunk as follows. We do not even have to mention ``bindir.h`'.

    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES = foo.c

However, it's not always possible to build sources from ``configure`', especially when these sources are generated by a tool that needs to be built first...

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### Build ``bindir.c`', not ``bindir.h`'.

Another attractive idea is to define `bindir` as a variable or function exported from ``bindir.o`', and build ``bindir.c`' instead of ``bindir.h`'.

    noinst_PROGRAMS = foo
    foo_SOURCES = foo.c bindir.h
    nodist_foo_SOURCES = bindir.c
    CLEANFILES = bindir.c
    bindir.c: Makefile
            echo 'const char bindir[] = "$(bindir)";' >$

``bindir.h`' contains just the variable's declaration and doesn't need to be built, so it won't cause any trouble. ``bindir.o`' is always dependent on ``bindir.c`', so ``bindir.c`' will get built first.

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### Which is best?

There is no panacea, of course. Each solution has its merits and drawbacks.

You cannot use `BUILT_SOURCES` if the ability to run `make foo` on a clean tree is important to you.

You won't add explicit dependencies if you are leery of overriding an Automake target by mistake.

Building files from ``./configure`' is not always possible, neither is converting ``.h`' files into ``.c`' files.

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# 11. Other GNU Tools

Since Automake is primarily intended to generate ``Makefile.in`'s for use in GNU programs, it tries hard to interoperate with other GNU tools.

> 11.1 Emacs Lisp |  |
> 11.2 Gettext |  |
> 11.3 Libtool |  |
> 11.4 Java |  |
> 11.5 Python |  |

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## 11.1 Emacs Lisp

Automake provides some support for Emacs Lisp. The ``LISP`' primary is used to hold a list of ``.el`' files. Possible prefixes for this primary are ``lisp_`' and ``noinst_`'. Note that if `lisp_LISP` is defined, then ``configure.in`' must run `AM_PATH_LISPDIR` (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake).

By default Automake will byte-compile all Emacs Lisp source files using the Emacs found by `AM_PATH_LISPDIR`. If you wish to avoid byte-compiling, simply define the variable `ELCFILES` to be empty. Byte-compiled Emacs Lisp files are not portable among all versions of Emacs, so it makes sense to turn this off if you expect sites to have more than one version of Emacs installed. Furthermore, many packages don't actually benefit from byte-compilation. Still, we recommend that you leave it enabled by default. It is probably better for sites with strange setups to cope for themselves than to make the installation less nice for everybody else.

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## 11.2 Gettext

If `AM_GNU_GETTEXT` is seen in ``configure.in`', then Automake turns on support for GNU gettext, a message catalog system for internationalization (see section `GNU Gettext' in GNU gettext utilities).

The `gettext` support in Automake requires the addition of two subdirectories to the package, ``intl`' and ``po`'. Automake insures that these directories exist and are mentioned in `SUBDIRS`.

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## 11.3 Libtool

Automake provides support for GNU Libtool (see section `Introduction' in The Libtool Manual) with the ``LTLIBRARIES`' primary. See section 9.3 Building a Shared Library.

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## 11.4 Java

Automake provides some minimal support for Java compilation with the ``JAVA`' primary.

Any ``.java`' files listed in a ``_JAVA`' variable will be compiled with `JAVAC` at build time. By default, ``.class`' files are not included in the distribution.

Currently Automake enforces the restriction that only one ``_JAVA`' primary can be used in a given ``Makefile.am`'. The reason for this restriction is that, in general, it isn't possible to know which ``.class`' files were generated from which ``.java`' files -- so it would be impossible to know which files to install where. For instance, a ``.java`' file can define multiple classes; the resulting ``.class`' file names cannot be predicted without parsing the ``.java`' file.

There are a few variables which are used when compiling Java sources:

`JAVAC`
  The name of the Java compiler. This defaults to ``javac`'.

`JAVACFLAGS`
  The flags to pass to the compiler. This is considered to be a user variable (see section 2.5 Variables reserved for the user).

`AM_JAVACFLAGS`
  More flags to pass to the Java compiler. This, and not `JAVACFLAGS`, should be used when it is necessary to put Java compiler flags into ``Makefile.am`'.

`JAVAROOT`
  The value of this variable is passed to the ``-d`' option to `javac`. It defaults to ``$(top_builddir)`'.

`CLASSPATH_ENV`
  This variable is an `sh` expression which is used to set the `CLASSPATH` environment variable on the `javac` command line. (In the future we will probably handle class path setting differently.)

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## 11.5 Python

Automake provides support for Python compilation with the ``PYTHON`' primary.

Any files listed in a ``_PYTHON`' variable will be byte-compiled with `py-compile` at install time. `py-compile` actually creates both standard (``.pyc`') and byte-compiled (``.pyo`') versions of the source files. Note that because byte-compilation occurs at install time, any files listed in ``noinst_PYTHON`' will not be compiled. Python source files are included in the distribution by default.

Automake ships with an Autoconf macro called `AM_PATH_PYTHON` which will determine some Python-related directory variables (see below). If you have called `AM_PATH_PYTHON` from ``configure.in`', then you may use the following variables to list you Python source files in your variables: ``python_PYTHON`', ``pkgpython_PYTHON`', ``pyexecdir_PYTHON`', ``pkgpyexecdir_PYTHON`', depending where you want your files installed.

`AM_PATH_PYTHON` takes a single optional argument. This argument, if present, is the minimum version of Python which can be used for this package. If the version of Python found on the system is older than the required version, then `AM_PATH_PYTHON` will cause an error.

`AM_PATH_PYTHON` creates several output variables based on the Python installation found during configuration.

`PYTHON`
  The name of the Python executable.

`PYTHON_VERSION`
  The Python version number, in the form major.minor (e.g. ``1.5`'). This is currently the value of `sys.version[:3]`.

`PYTHON_PREFIX`
  The string `$prefix`. This term may be used in future work which needs the contents of Python's `sys.prefix`, but general consensus is to always use the value from configure.

`PYTHON_EXEC_PREFIX`
  The string `$exec_prefix`. This term may be used in future work which needs the contents of Python's `sys.exec_prefix`, but general consensus is to always use the value from configure.

`PYTHON_PLATFORM`
  The canonical name used by Python to describe the operating system, as given by `sys.platform`. This value is sometimes needed when building Python extensions.

`pythondir`
  The directory name for the ``site-packages`' subdirectory of the standard Python install tree.

`pkgpythondir`
  This is is the directory under `pythondir` which is named after the package. That is, it is ``$(pythondir)/$(PACKAGE)`'. It is provided as a convenience.

`pyexecdir`
  This is the directory where Python extension modules (shared libraries) should be installed.

`pkgpyexecdir`
  This is a convenience variable which is defined as ``$(pyexecdir)/$(PACKAGE)`'.

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# 12. Building documentation

Currently Automake provides support for Texinfo and man pages.

> 12.1 Texinfo |  |
> 12.2 Man pages |  |

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## 12.1 Texinfo

If the current directory contains Texinfo source, you must declare it with the ``TEXINFOS`' primary. Generally Texinfo files are converted into info, and thus the `info_TEXINFOS` variable is most commonly used here. Any Texinfo source file must end in the ``.texi`', ``.txi`', or ``.texinfo`' extension. We recommend ``.texi`' for new manuals.

Automake generates rules to build ``.info`', ``.dvi`', ``.ps`', and ``.pdf`' files from your Texinfo sources. The ``.info`' files are built by `make all` and installed by `make install` (unless you use `no-installinfo`, see below). The other files can be built on request by `make dvi`, `make ps`, and `make pdf`.

If the ``.texi`' file `@include`s ``version.texi`', then that file will be automatically generated. The file ``version.texi`' defines four Texinfo flag you can reference using `@value{EDITION}`, `@value{VERSION}`, `@value{UPDATED}`, and `@value{UPDATED-MONTH}`.

`EDITION`
`VERSION`
  Both of these flags hold the version number of your program. They are kept separate for clarity.

`UPDATED`
  This holds the date the primary ``.texi`' file was last modified.

`UPDATED-MONTH`
  This holds the name of the month in which the primary ``.texi`' file was last modified.

The ``version.texi`' support requires the `mdate-sh` program; this program is supplied with Automake and automatically included when `automake` is invoked with the `--add-missing` option.

If you have multiple Texinfo files, and you want to use the ``version.texi`' feature, then you have to have a separate version file for each Texinfo file. Automake will treat any include in a Texinfo file that matches ``vers*.texi`' just as an automatically generated version file.

When an info file is rebuilt, the program named by the `MAKEINFO` variable is used to invoke it. If the `makeinfo` program is found on the system then it will be used by default; otherwise `missing` will be used instead. The flags in the variables `MAKEINFOFLAGS` and `AM_MAKEINFOFLAGS` will be passed to the `makeinfo` invocation; the first of these is intended for use by the user (see section 2.5 Variables reserved for the user) and the second by the ``Makefile.am`' writer.

Sometimes an info file actually depends on more than one ``.texi`' file. For instance, in GNU Hello, ``hello.texi`' includes the file ``gpl.texi`'. You can tell Automake about these dependencies using the `texi_TEXINFOS` variable. Here is how GNU Hello does it:

    info_TEXINFOS = hello.texi
    hello_TEXINFOS = gpl.texi

By default, Automake requires the file ``texinfo.tex`' to appear in the same directory as the Texinfo source. However, if you used `AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR` in ``configure.in`' (see section `Finding `configure' Input' in The Autoconf Manual), then ``texinfo.tex`' is looked for there. Automake supplies ``texinfo.tex`' if ``--add-missing`' is given.

If your package has Texinfo files in many directories, you can use the variable `TEXINFO_TEX` to tell Automake where to find the canonical ``texinfo.tex`' for your package. The value of this variable should be the relative path from the current ``Makefile.am`' to ``texinfo.tex`':

    TEXINFO_TEX = ../doc/texinfo.tex

The option ``no-texinfo.tex`' can be used to eliminate the requirement for ``texinfo.tex`'. Use of the variable `TEXINFO_TEX` is preferable, however, because that allows the `dvi`, `ps`, and `pdf` targets to still work.

Automake generates an `install-info` target; some people apparently use this. By default, info pages are installed by ``make install`'. This can be prevented via the `no-installinfo` option.

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## 12.2 Man pages

A package can also include man pages (but see the GNU standards on this matter, section `Man Pages' in The GNU Coding Standards.) Man pages are declared using the ``MANS`' primary. Generally the `man_MANS` variable is used. Man pages are automatically installed in the correct subdirectory of `mandir`, based on the file extension.

File extensions such as ``.1c`' are handled by looking for the valid part of the extension and using that to determine the correct subdirectory of `mandir`. Valid section names are the digits ``0`' through ``9`', and the letters ``l`' and ``n`'.

Sometimes developers prefer to name a man page something like ``foo.man`' in the source, and then rename it to have the correct suffix, e.g. ``foo.1`', when installing the file. Automake also supports this mode. For a valid section named SECTION, there is a corresponding directory named ``manSECTIONdir`', and a corresponding ``_MANS`' variable. Files listed in such a variable are installed in the indicated section. If the file already has a valid suffix, then it is installed as-is; otherwise the file suffix is changed to match the section.

For instance, consider this example:

    man1_MANS = rename.man thesame.1 alsothesame.1c

In this case, ``rename.man`' will be renamed to ``rename.1`' when installed, but the other files will keep their names.

By default, man pages are installed by ``make install`'. However, since the GNU project does not require man pages, many maintainers do not expend effort to keep the man pages up to date. In these cases, the `no-installman` option will prevent the man pages from being installed by default. The user can still explicitly install them via ``make install-man`'.

Here is how the man pages are handled in GNU `cpio` (which includes both Texinfo documentation and man pages):

    man_MANS = cpio.1 mt.1
    EXTRA_DIST = $(man_MANS)

Man pages are not currently considered to be source, because it is not uncommon for man pages to be automatically generated. Therefore they are not automatically included in the distribution. However, this can be changed by use of the ``dist_`' prefix.

The ``nobase_`' prefix is meaningless for man pages and is disallowed.

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# 13. What Gets Installed

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## 13.1 Basics of installation

Naturally, Automake handles the details of actually installing your program once it has been built. All files named by the various primaries are automatically installed in the appropriate places when the user runs `make install`.

A file named in a primary is installed by copying the built file into the appropriate directory. The base name of the file is used when installing.

    bin_PROGRAMS = hello subdir/goodbye

In this example, both ``hello`' and ``goodbye`' will be installed in `$(bindir)`.

Sometimes it is useful to avoid the basename step at install time. For instance, you might have a number of header files in subdirectories of the source tree which are laid out precisely how you want to install them. In this situation you can use the ``nobase_`' prefix to suppress the base name step. For example:

    nobase_include_HEADERS = stdio.h sys/types.h

Will install ``stdio.h`' in `$(includedir)` and ``types.h`' in `$(includedir)/sys`.

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## 13.2 The two parts of install

Automake generates separate `install-data` and `install-exec` targets, in case the installer is installing on multiple machines which share directory structure--these targets allow the machine-independent parts to be installed only once. `install-exec` installs platform-dependent files, and `install-data` installs platform-independent files. The `install` target depends on both of these targets. While Automake tries to automatically segregate objects into the correct category, the ``Makefile.am`' author is, in the end, responsible for making sure this is done correctly.

Variables using the standard directory prefixes ``data`', ``info`', ``man`', ``include`', ``oldinclude`', ``pkgdata`', or ``pkginclude`' (e.g. ``data_DATA`') are installed by ``install-data`'.

Variables using the standard directory prefixes ``bin`', ``sbin`', ``libexec`', ``sysconf`', ``localstate`', ``lib`', or ``pkglib`' (e.g. ``bin_PROGRAMS`') are installed by ``install-exec`'.

Any variable using a user-defined directory prefix with ``exec`' in the name (e.g. ``myexecbin_PROGRAMS`' is installed by ``install-exec`'. All other user-defined prefixes are installed by ``install-data`'.

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## 13.3 Extending installation

It is possible to extend this mechanism by defining an `install-exec-local` or `install-data-local` target. If these targets exist, they will be run at ``make install`' time. These rules can do almost anything; care is required.

Automake also supports two install hooks, `install-exec-hook` and `install-data-hook`. These hooks are run after all other install rules of the appropriate type, exec or data, have completed. So, for instance, it is possible to perform post-installation modifications using an install hook.

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## 13.4 Staged installs

Automake generates support for the ``DESTDIR`' variable in all install rules. ``DESTDIR`' is used during the ``make install`' step to relocate install objects into a staging area. Each object and path is prefixed with the value of ``DESTDIR`' before being copied into the install area. Here is an example of typical DESTDIR usage:

    make DESTDIR=/tmp/staging install

This places install objects in a directory tree built under ``/tmp/staging`'. If ``/gnu/bin/foo`' and ``/gnu/share/aclocal/foo.m4`' are to be installed, the above command would install ``/tmp/staging/gnu/bin/foo`' and ``/tmp/staging/gnu/share/aclocal/foo.m4`'.

This feature is commonly used to build install images and packages. For more information, see section `Makefile Conventions' in The GNU Coding Standards.

Support for ``DESTDIR`' is implemented by coding it directly into the install rules. If your ``Makefile.am`' uses a local install rule (e.g., `install-exec-local`) or an install hook, then you must write that code to respect ``DESTDIR`'.

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## 13.5 Rules for the user

Automake also generates an `uninstall` target, an `installdirs` target, and an `install-strip` target.

Automake supports `uninstall-local` and `uninstall-hook`. There is no notion of separate uninstalls for "exec" and "data", as these features would not provide additional functionality.

Note that `uninstall` is not meant as a replacement for a real packaging tool.

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# 14. What Gets Cleaned

The GNU Makefile Standards specify a number of different clean rules. See See section `Standard Targets for Users' in The GNU Coding Standards.

Generally the files that can be cleaned are determined automatically by Automake. Of course, Automake also recognizes some variables that can be defined to specify additional files to clean. These variables are `MOSTLYCLEANFILES`, `CLEANFILES`, `DISTCLEANFILES`, and `MAINTAINERCLEANFILES`.

As the GNU Standards aren't always explicit as to which files should be removed by which target, we've adopted a heuristic which we believe was first formulated by François Pinard:

- If `make` built it, and it is commonly something that one would want to rebuild (for instance, a ``.o`' file), then `mostlyclean` should delete it.

- Otherwise, if `make` built it, then `clean` should delete it.

- If `configure` built it, then `distclean` should delete it

- If the maintainer built it, then `maintainer-clean` should delete it.

We recommend that you follow this same set of heuristics in your ``Makefile.am`'.

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# 15. What Goes in a Distribution

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## 15.1 Basics of distribution

The `dist` target in the generated ``Makefile.in`' can be used to generate a gzip'd `tar` file and other flavors of archive for distribution. The files is named based on the ``PACKAGE`' and ``VERSION`' variables defined by `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake); more precisely the gzip'd `tar` file is named ``package-version.tar.gz`'. You can use the `make` variable ``GZIP_ENV`' to control how gzip is run. The default setting is ``--best`'.

For the most part, the files to distribute are automatically found by Automake: all source files are automatically included in a distribution, as are all ``Makefile.am`'s and ``Makefile.in`'s. Automake also has a built-in list of commonly used files which are automatically included if they are found in the current directory (either physically, or as the target of a ``Makefile.am`' rule). This list is printed by ``automake --help`'. Also, files which are read by `configure` (i.e. the source files corresponding to the files specified in various Autoconf macros such as `AC_CONFIG_FILES` and siblings) are automatically distributed.

Still, sometimes there are files which must be distributed, but which are not covered in the automatic rules. These files should be listed in the `EXTRA_DIST` variable. You can mention files from subdirectories in `EXTRA_DIST`.

You can also mention a directory in `EXTRA_DIST`; in this case the entire directory will be recursively copied into the distribution. Please note that this will also copy everything in the directory, including CVS/RCS version control files. We recommend against using this feature.

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## 15.2 Fine-grained distribution control

Sometimes you need tighter control over what does not go into the distribution; for instance you might have source files which are generated and which you do not want to distribute. In this case Automake gives fine-grained control using the ``dist`' and ``nodist`' prefixes. Any primary or ``_SOURCES`' variable can be prefixed with ``dist_`' to add the listed files to the distribution. Similarly, ``nodist_`' can be used to omit the files from the distribution.

As an example, here is how you would cause some data to be distributed while leaving some source code out of the distribution:

    dist_data_DATA = distribute-this
    bin_PROGRAMS = foo
    nodist_foo_SOURCES = do-not-distribute.c

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## 15.3 The dist hook

Another way to to use this is for removing unnecessary files that get recursively included by specifying a directory in EXTRA_DIST:

    EXTRA_DIST = doc

    dist-hook:
    	rm -rf `find $(distdir)/doc -name CVS`

If you define `SUBDIRS`, Automake will recursively include the subdirectories in the distribution. If `SUBDIRS` is defined conditionally (see section 20. Conditionals), Automake will normally include all directories that could possibly appear in `SUBDIRS` in the distribution. If you need to specify the set of directories conditionally, you can set the variable `DIST_SUBDIRS` to the exact list of subdirectories to include in the distribution.

Occasionally it is useful to be able to change the distribution before it is packaged up. If the `dist-hook` target exists, it is run after the distribution directory is filled, but before the actual tar (or shar) file is created. One way to use this is for distributing files in subdirectories for which a new ``Makefile.am`' is overkill:

    dist-hook:
            mkdir $(distdir)/random
            cp -p $(srcdir)/random/a1 $(srcdir)/random/a2 $(distdir)/random

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## 15.4 Checking the distribution

Automake also generates a `distcheck` target which can be of help to ensure that a given distribution will actually work. `distcheck` makes a distribution, then tries to do a `VPATH` build, run the testsuite, and finally make another tarfile to ensure the distribution is self-contained.

Building the package involves running `./configure`. If you need to supply additional flags to `configure`, define them in the `DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS` variable, either in your top-level ``Makefile.am`', or on the command line when invoking `make`.

If the target `distcheck-hook` is defined in your ``Makefile.am`', then it will be invoked by `distcheck` after the new distribution has been unpacked, but before the unpacked copy is configured and built. Your `distcheck-hook` can do almost anything, though as always caution is advised. Generally this hook is used to check for potential distribution errors not caught by the standard mechanism.

Speaking about potential distribution errors, `distcheck` will also ensure that the `distclean` target actually removes all built files. This is done by running `make distcleancheck` at the end of the `VPATH` build. By default, `distcleancheck` will run `distclean` and then make sure the build tree has been emptied by running `$(distcleancheck_listfiles)`. Usually this check will find generated files that you forgot to add to the `DISTCLEANFILES` variable (see section 14. What Gets Cleaned).

The `distcleancheck` behaviour should be ok for most packages, otherwise you have the possibility to override the definitition of either the `distcleancheck` target, or the `$(distcleancheck_listfiles)` variable. For instance to disable `distcleancheck` completely, add the following rule to your top-level ``Makefile.am`':

    distcleancheck:
            @:

If you want `distcleancheck` to ignore built files which have not been cleaned because they are also part of the distribution, add the following definition instead:

    distcleancheck_listfiles = \
      find -type f -exec sh -c 'test -f $(srcdir)/{} || echo {}' ';'

The above definition is not the default because it's usually an error if your Makefiles cause some distributed files to be rebuilt when the user build the package. (Think about the user missing the tool required to build the file; or if the required tool is built by your package, consider the cross-compilation case where it can't be run.)

`distcheck` also checks that the `uninstall` target works properly, both for ordinary and ``DESTDIR`' builds. It does this by invoking `make uninstall`, and then it checks the install tree to see if any files are left over. This check will make sure that you correctly coded your `uninstall`-related targets.

By default, the checking is done by the `distuninstallcheck` target, and the list of files in the install tree is generated by `$(distuninstallcheck_listfiles`) (this is a variable whose value is a shell command to run that prints the list of files to stdout).

Either of these can be overridden to modify the behavior of `distcheck`. For instance, to disable this check completely, you would write:

    distuninstallcheck:
            @:

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## 15.5 The types of distributions

Automake generates a ``.tar.gz`' file when asked to create a distribution and other archives formats, 17. Changing Automake's Behavior. The target `dist-gzip` generates the ``.tar.gz`' file only.

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# 16. Support for test suites

Automake supports two forms of test suites.

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## 16.1 Simple Tests

If the variable `TESTS` is defined, its value is taken to be a list of programs to run in order to do the testing. The programs can either be derived objects or source objects; the generated rule will look both in `srcdir` and ``.`'. Programs needing data files should look for them in `srcdir` (which is both an environment variable and a make variable) so they work when building in a separate directory (see section `Build Directories' in The Autoconf Manual), and in particular for the `distcheck` target (see section 15. What Goes in a Distribution).

The number of failures will be printed at the end of the run. If a given test program exits with a status of 77, then its result is ignored in the final count. This feature allows non-portable tests to be ignored in environments where they don't make sense.

The variable `TESTS_ENVIRONMENT` can be used to set environment variables for the test run; the environment variable `srcdir` is set in the rule. If all your test programs are scripts, you can also set `TESTS_ENVIRONMENT` to an invocation of the shell (e.g. ``$(SHELL) -x`'); this can be useful for debugging the tests.

You may define the variable `XFAIL_TESTS` to a list of tests (usually a subset of `TESTS`) that are expected to fail. This will reverse the result of those tests.

Automake ensures that each program listed in `TESTS` is built before any tests are run; you can list both source and derived programs in `TESTS`. For instance, you might want to run a C program as a test. To do this you would list its name in `TESTS` and also in `check_PROGRAMS`, and then specify it as you would any other program.

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## 16.2 DejaGNU Tests

If ``dejagnu`' appears in `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS`, then a `dejagnu`-based test suite is assumed. The variable `DEJATOOL` is a list of names which are passed, one at a time, as the `--tool` argument to `runtest` invocations; it defaults to the name of the package.

The variable `RUNTESTDEFAULTFLAGS` holds the `--tool` and `--srcdir` flags that are passed to dejagnu by default; this can be overridden if necessary.

The variables `EXPECT` and `RUNTEST` can also be overridden to provide project-specific values. For instance, you will need to do this if you are testing a compiler toolchain, because the default values do not take into account host and target names.

The contents of the variable `RUNTESTFLAGS` are passed to the `runtest` invocation. This is considered a "user variable" (see section 2.5 Variables reserved for the user). If you need to set `runtest` flags in ``Makefile.am`', you can use `AM_RUNTESTFLAGS` instead.

Automake will generate rules to create a local ``site.exp`' file, defining various variables detected by `./configure`. This file is automatically read by DejaGnu. It is ok for the user of a package to edit this file in order to tune the test suite. However this is not the place where the test suite author should define new variables: this should be done elsewhere in the real test suite code. Especially, ``site.exp`' should not be distributed.

In either case, the testing is done via ``make check`'.

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## 16.3 Install Tests

The `installcheck` target is available to the user as a way to run any tests after the package has been installed. You can add tests to this by writing an `installcheck-local` target.

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# 17. Changing Automake's Behavior

Various features of Automake can be controlled by options in the ``Makefile.am`'. Such options are applied on a per-``Makefile`' basis when listed in a special ``Makefile`' variable named `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS`. They are applied globally to all processed ``Makefiles`' when listed in the first argument of `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` in ``configure.in`'. Currently understood options are:

`gnits`
`gnu`
`foreign`
`cygnus`

  Set the strictness as appropriate. The `gnits` option also implies `readme-alpha` and `check-news`.

`ansi2knr`
`path/ansi2knr`
  Turn on automatic de-ANSI-fication. See section 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication. If preceded by a path, the generated ``Makefile.in`' will look in the specified directory to find the ``ansi2knr`' program. The path should be a relative path to another directory in the same distribution (Automake currently does not check this).

`check-news`
  Cause `make dist` to fail unless the current version number appears in the first few lines of the ``NEWS`' file.

`dejagnu`
  Cause `dejagnu`-specific rules to be generated. See section 16. Support for test suites.

`dist-bzip2`
  Generate a `dist-bzip2` target, creating a bzip2 tar archive of the distribution. `dist` will create it in addition to the other formats. bzip2 archives are frequently smaller than gzipped archives.

`dist-shar`
  Generate a `dist-shar` target, creating a shar archive of the distribution. `dist` will create it in addition to the other formats.

`dist-zip`
  Generate a `dist-zip` target, creating a zip archive of the distribution. `dist` will create it in addition to the other formats.

`dist-tarZ`
  Generate a `dist-tarZ` target, creating a compressed tar archive of the distribution. `dist` will create it in addition to the other formats.

`no-define`
  This options is meaningful only when passed as an argument to `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE`. It will prevent the `PACKAGE` and `VERSION` variables to be `AC_DEFINE`d.

`no-dependencies`
  This is similar to using ``--include-deps`' on the command line, but is useful for those situations where you don't have the necessary bits to make automatic dependency tracking work See section 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking. In this case the effect is to effectively disable automatic dependency tracking.

`no-exeext`
  If your ``Makefile.am`' defines a target ``foo`', it will override a target named ``foo$(EXEEXT)`'. This is necessary when `EXEEXT` is found to be empty. However, by default automake will generate an error for this use. The `no-exeext` option will disable this error. This is intended for use only where it is known in advance that the package will not be ported to Windows, or any other operating system using extensions on executables.

`no-installinfo`
  The generated ``Makefile.in`' will not cause info pages to be built or installed by default. However, `info` and `install-info` targets will still be available. This option is disallowed at ``GNU`' strictness and above.

`no-installman`
  The generated ``Makefile.in`' will not cause man pages to be installed by default. However, an `install-man` target will still be available for optional installation. This option is disallowed at ``GNU`' strictness and above.

`nostdinc`
  This option can be used to disable the standard ``-I`' options which are ordinarily automatically provided by Automake.

`no-texinfo.tex`
  Don't require ``texinfo.tex`', even if there are texinfo files in this directory.

`readme-alpha`
  If this release is an alpha release, and the file ``README-alpha`' exists, then it will be added to the distribution. If this option is given, version numbers are expected to follow one of two forms. The first form is ``MAJOR.MINOR.ALPHA`', where each element is a number; the final period and number should be left off for non-alpha releases. The second form is ``MAJOR.MINORALPHA`', where ALPHA is a letter; it should be omitted for non-alpha releases.

`std-options`
  Make the `installcheck` target check that installed scripts and programs support the `--help` and `--version` options. This also provides a basic check that the program's run-time dependencies are satisfied after installation.

  In a few situations, programs (or scripts) have to be exempted from this test. For instance `false` (from GNU sh-utils) is never successful, even for `--help` or `--version`. You can list such programs in the variable `AM_INSTALLCHECK_STD_OPTIONS_EXEMPT`. Programs (not scripts) listed in this variable should be suffixed by `$(EXEEXT)` for the sake of Win32 or OS/2. For instance suppose we build `false` as a program but `true.sh` as a script, and that neither of them support `--help` or `--version`:

      AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = std-options
      bin_PROGRAMS = false ...
      bin_SCRIPTS = true.sh ...
      AM_INSTALLCHECK_STD_OPTIONS_EXEMPT = false$(EXEEXT) true.sh

`subdir-objects`
  If this option is specified, then objects are placed into the subdirectory of the build directory corresponding to the subdirectory of the source file. For instance if the source file is ``subdir/file.cxx`', then the output file would be ``subdir/file.o`'.

version
  A version number (e.g. ``0.30`') can be specified. If Automake is not newer than the version specified, creation of the ``Makefile.in`' will be suppressed.

`-Wcategory` or `--warnings=category`
  These options behave exactly like their command-line counterpart (see section 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'). This allows you to enable or disable some warning categories on a per-file basis. You can also setup some warnings for your entire project; for instance try `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall])` in your ``configure.in`'.

Unrecognized options are diagnosed by `automake`.

If you want an option to apply to all the files in the tree, you can use the `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` macro in ``configure.in`'. See section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake.

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# 18. Miscellaneous Rules

There are a few rules and variables that didn't fit anywhere else.

> 18.1 Interfacing to `etags` |  | Interfacing to etags and mkid
> 18.2 Handling new file extensions |  |
> 18.3 Support for Multilibs |  | Support for multilibbing.

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## 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`

Automake will generate rules to generate ``TAGS`' files for use with GNU Emacs under some circumstances.

If any C, C++ or Fortran 77 source code or headers are present, then `tags` and `TAGS` targets will be generated for the directory.

At the topmost directory of a multi-directory package, a `tags` target file will be generated which, when run, will generate a ``TAGS`' file that includes by reference all ``TAGS`' files from subdirectories.

The `tags` target will also be generated if the variable `ETAGS_ARGS` is defined. This variable is intended for use in directories which contain taggable source that `etags` does not understand. The user can use the `ETAGSFLAGS` to pass additional flags to `etags`; `AM_ETAGSFLAGS` is also available for use in ``Makefile.am`'.

Here is how Automake generates tags for its source, and for nodes in its Texinfo file:

    ETAGS_ARGS = automake.in --lang=none \
     --regex='/^@node[ \t]+\([^,]+\)/\1/' automake.texi

If you add filenames to ``ETAGS_ARGS`', you will probably also want to set ``TAGS_DEPENDENCIES`'. The contents of this variable are added directly to the dependencies for the `tags` target.

Automake also generates a `ctags` target which can be used to build `vi`-style ``tags`' files. The variable `CTAGS` is the name of the program to invoke (by default ``ctags`'); `CTAGSFLAGS` can be used by the user to pass additional flags, and `AM_CTAGSFLAGS` can be used by the ``Makefile.am`'.

Automake will also generate an `ID` target which will run `mkid` on the source. This is only supported on a directory-by-directory basis.

Automake also supports the GNU Global Tags program. The `GTAGS` target runs Global Tags automatically and puts the result in the top build directory. The variable `GTAGS_ARGS` holds arguments which are passed to `gtags`.

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## 18.2 Handling new file extensions

It is sometimes useful to introduce a new implicit rule to handle a file type that Automake does not know about.

For instance, suppose you had a compiler which could compile ``.foo`' files to ``.o`' files. You would simply define an suffix rule for your language:

    .foo.o:
            foocc -c -o $@ $<

Then you could directly use a ``.foo`' file in a ``_SOURCES`' variable and expect the correct results:

    bin_PROGRAMS = doit
    doit_SOURCES = doit.foo

This was the simpler and more common case. In other cases, you will have to help Automake to figure which extensions you are defining your suffix rule for. This usually happens when your extensions does not start with a dot. Then, all you have to do is to put a list of new suffixes in the `SUFFIXES` variable before you define your implicit rule.

For instance the following definition prevents Automake to misinterpret ``.idlC.cpp:`' as an attempt to transform ``.idlC`' into ``.cpp`'.

    SUFFIXES = .idl C.cpp
    .idlC.cpp:
            # whatever

As you may have noted, the `SUFFIXES` variable behaves like the `.SUFFIXES` special target of `make`. You should not touch `.SUFFIXES` yourself, but use `SUFFIXES` instead and let Automake generate the suffix list for `.SUFFIXES`. Any given `SUFFIXES` go at the start of the generated suffixes list, followed by Automake generated suffixes not already in the list.

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## 18.3 Support for Multilibs

Automake has support for an obscure feature called multilibs. A multilib is a library which is built for multiple different ABIs at a single time; each time the library is built with a different target flag combination. This is only useful when the library is intended to be cross-compiled, and it is almost exclusively used for compiler support libraries.

The multilib support is still experimental. Only use it if you are familiar with multilibs and can debug problems you might encounter.

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# 19. Include

Automake supports an `include` directive which can be used to include other ``Makefile`' fragments when `automake` is run. Note that these fragments are read and interpreted by `automake`, not by `make`. As with conditionals, `make` has no idea that `include` is in use.

There are two forms of `include`:

`include $(srcdir)/file`
  Include a fragment which is found relative to the current source directory.

`include $(top_srcdir)/file`
  Include a fragment which is found relative to the top source directory.

Note that if a fragment is included inside a conditional, then the condition applies to the entire contents of that fragment.

Makefile fragments included this way are always distributed because there are needed to rebuild ``Makefile.in`'.

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# 20. Conditionals

Automake supports a simple type of conditionals.

Before using a conditional, you must define it by using `AM_CONDITIONAL` in the `configure.in` file (see section 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake).

Macro: AM_CONDITIONAL (conditional, condition)
  The conditional name, conditional, should be a simple string starting with a letter and containing only letters, digits, and underscores. It must be different from ``TRUE`' and ``FALSE`' which are reserved by Automake.

  The shell condition (suitable for use in a shell `if` statement) is evaluated when `configure` is run. Note that you must arrange for every `AM_CONDITIONAL` to be invoked every time `configure` is run -- if `AM_CONDITIONAL` is run conditionally (e.g., in a shell `if` statement), then the result will confuse automake.

Conditionals typically depend upon options which the user provides to the `configure` script. Here is an example of how to write a conditional which is true if the user uses the ``--enable-debug`' option.

    AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug,
    [  --enable-debug    Turn on debugging],
    [case "${enableval}" in
      yes) debug=true ;;
      no)  debug=false ;;
      *) AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-debug) ;;
    esac],[debug=false])
    AM_CONDITIONAL(DEBUG, test x$debug = xtrue)

Here is an example of how to use that conditional in ``Makefile.am`':

    if DEBUG
    DBG = debug
    else
    DBG =
    endif
    noinst_PROGRAMS = $(DBG)

This trivial example could also be handled using EXTRA_PROGRAMS (see section 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs).

You may only test a single variable in an `if` statement, possibly negated using ``!`'. The `else` statement may be omitted. Conditionals may be nested to any depth. You may specify an argument to `else` in which case it must be the negation of the condition used for the current `if`. Similarly you may specify the condition which is closed by an `end`:

    if DEBUG
    DBG = debug
    else !DEBUG
    DBG =
    endif !DEBUG

Unbalanced conditions are errors.

Note that conditionals in Automake are not the same as conditionals in GNU Make. Automake conditionals are checked at configure time by the ``configure`' script, and affect the translation from ``Makefile.in`' to ``Makefile`'. They are based on options passed to ``configure`' and on results that ``configure`' has discovered about the host system. GNU Make conditionals are checked at `make` time, and are based on variables passed to the make program or defined in the ``Makefile`'.

Automake conditionals will work with any make program.

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# 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`

The ``--gnu`' option (or ``gnu`' in the ``AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS`' variable) causes `automake` to check the following:

- The files ``INSTALL`', ``NEWS`', ``README`', ``AUTHORS`', and ``ChangeLog`', plus one of ``COPYING.LIB`', ``COPYING.LESSER`' or ``COPYING`', are required at the topmost directory of the package.

- The options ``no-installman`' and ``no-installinfo`' are prohibited.

Note that this option will be extended in the future to do even more checking; it is advisable to be familiar with the precise requirements of the GNU standards. Also, ``--gnu`' can require certain non-standard GNU programs to exist for use by various maintainer-only targets; for instance in the future `pathchk` might be required for ``make dist`'.

The ``--gnits`' option does everything that ``--gnu`' does, and checks the following as well:

- ``make installcheck`' will check to make sure that the `--help` and `--version` really print a usage message and a version string, respectively. This is the `std-options` option (see section 17. Changing Automake's Behavior).

- ``make dist`' will check to make sure the ``NEWS`' file has been updated to the current version.

- ``VERSION`' is checked to make sure its format complies with Gnits standards.

- If ``VERSION`' indicates that this is an alpha release, and the file ``README-alpha`' appears in the topmost directory of a package, then it is included in the distribution. This is done in ``--gnits`' mode, and no other, because this mode is the only one where version number formats are constrained, and hence the only mode where Automake can automatically determine whether ``README-alpha`' should be included.

- The file ``THANKS`' is required.

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# 22. The effect of `--cygnus`

Some packages, notably GNU GCC and GNU gdb, have a build environment originally written at Cygnus Support (subsequently renamed Cygnus Solutions, and then later purchased by Red Hat). Packages with this ancestry are sometimes referred to as "Cygnus" trees.

A Cygnus tree has slightly different rules for how a ``Makefile.in`' is to be constructed. Passing ``--cygnus`' to `automake` will cause any generated ``Makefile.in`' to comply with Cygnus rules.

Here are the precise effects of ``--cygnus`':

- Info files are always created in the build directory, and not in the source directory.

- ``texinfo.tex`' is not required if a Texinfo source file is specified. The assumption is that the file will be supplied, but in a place that Automake cannot find. This assumption is an artifact of how Cygnus packages are typically bundled.

- ``make dist`' is not supported, and the rules for it are not generated. Cygnus-style trees use their own distribution mechanism.

- Certain tools will be searched for in the build tree as well as in the user's ``PATH`'. These tools are `runtest`, `expect`, `makeinfo` and `texi2dvi`.

- `--foreign` is implied.

- The options ``no-installinfo`' and ``no-dependencies`' are implied.

- The macros ``AM_MAINTAINER_MODE`' and ``AM_CYGWIN32`' are required.

- The `check` target doesn't depend on `all`.

GNU maintainers are advised to use ``gnu`' strictness in preference to the special Cygnus mode. Some day, perhaps, the differences between Cygnus trees and GNU trees will disappear (for instance, as GCC is made more standards compliant). At that time the special Cygnus mode will be removed.

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# 23. When Automake Isn't Enough

Automake's implicit copying semantics means that many problems can be worked around by simply adding some `make` targets and rules to ``Makefile.in`'. Automake will ignore these additions.

There are some caveats to doing this. Although you can overload a target already used by Automake, it is often inadvisable, particularly in the topmost directory of a package with subdirectories. However, various useful targets have a ``-local`' version you can specify in your ``Makefile.in`'. Automake will supplement the standard target with these user-supplied targets.

The targets that support a local version are `all`, `info`, `dvi`, `ps`, `pdf`, `check`, `install-data`, `install-exec`, `uninstall`, `installdirs`, `installcheck` and the various `clean` targets (`mostlyclean`, `clean`, `distclean`, and `maintainer-clean`). Note that there are no `uninstall-exec-local` or `uninstall-data-local` targets; just use `uninstall-local`. It doesn't make sense to uninstall just data or just executables.

For instance, here is one way to install a file in ``/etc`':

    install-data-local:
            $(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/afile $(DESTDIR)/etc/afile

Some targets also have a way to run another target, called a hook, after their work is done. The hook is named after the principal target, with ``-hook`' appended. The targets allowing hooks are `install-data`, `install-exec`, `uninstall`, `dist`, and `distcheck`.

For instance, here is how to create a hard link to an installed program:

    install-exec-hook:
            ln $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/program $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/proglink

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# 24. Distributing ``Makefile.in`'s

Automake places no restrictions on the distribution of the resulting ``Makefile.in`'s. We still encourage software authors to distribute their work under terms like those of the GPL, but doing so is not required to use Automake.

Some of the files that can be automatically installed via the `--add-missing` switch do fall under the GPL. However, these also have a special exception allowing you to distribute them with your package, regardless of the licensing you choose.

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# 25. Automake API versioning

New Automake releases usually include bug fixes and new features. Unfortunately they may also introduce new bugs and incompatibilities. This makes four reasons why a package may require a particular Automake version.

Things get worse when maintaining a large tree of packages, each one requiring a different version of Automake. In the past, this meant that any developer (and sometime users) had to install several versions of Automake in different places, and switch ``$PATH`' appropriately for each package.

Starting with version 1.6, Automake installs versioned binaries. This means you can install several versions of Automake in the same ``$prefix`', and can select an arbitrary Automake version by running ``automake-1.6`' or ``automake-1.7`' without juggling with ``$PATH`'. Furthermore, ``Makefile`''s generated by Automake 1.6 will use ``automake-1.6`' explicitly in their rebuild rules.

Note that ``1.6`' in ``automake-1.6`' is Automake's API version, not Automake's version. If a bug fix release is made, for instance Automake 1.6.1, the API version will remain 1.6. This means that a package which work with Automake 1.6 should also work with 1.6.1; after all, this is what people expect from bug fix releases.

Note that if your package relies on a feature or a bug fix introduced in a release, you can pass this version as an option to Automake to ensure older releases will not be used. For instance, use this in your ``configure.in`':

      AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(1.6.1)    dnl Require Automake 1.6.1 or better.

or, in a particular ``Makefile.am`':

      AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = 1.6.1   # Require Automake 1.6.1 or better.

Automake will print an error message if its version is older than the requested version.

## What is in the API

Automake's programming interface is not easy to define. Basically it should include at least all documented variables and targets that a ``Makefile.am`' author can use, any behavior associated with them (e.g. the places where ``-hook`''s are run), the command line interface of ``automake`' and ``aclocal`', ...

## What is not in the API

Every undocumented variable, target, or command line option, is not part of the API. You should avoid using them, as they could change from one version to the other (even in bug fix releases, if this helps to fix a bug).

If it turns out you need to use such a undocumented feature, contact automake@gnu.org and try to get it documented and exercised by the test-suite.

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# Macro and Variable Index

Jump to: | _ A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T V W X Y

| Index Entry | Section
_ |  |
| `_LDADD` | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| `_LDFLAGS` | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| `_LIBADD` | 9.2 Building a library
| `_SOURCES` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `_TEXINFOS` | 12.1 Texinfo
A |  |
| `AC_CANONICAL_HOST` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_CONFIG_HEADERS` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_LIBOBJ` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_LIBSOURCE` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_LIBSOURCES` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_OUTPUT` | 5.1 Configuration requirements
| `AC_PROG_CXX` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_PROG_F77` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_PROG_LEX` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_PROG_LIBTOOL` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_PROG_RANLIB` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_PROG_YACC` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AC_SUBST` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS` | 8. Rebuilding Makefiles
| `AM_C_PROTOTYPES` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AM_C_PROTOTYPES` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_C_PROTOTYPES` | 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication
| `AM_CFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `AM_CFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `AM_CONDITIONAL` | 20. Conditionals
| `AM_CONFIG_HEADER` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_CPPFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `AM_CPPFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `am_cv_sys_posix_termios` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_CXXFLAGS` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `AM_CXXFLAGS` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `AM_ETAGSFLAGS` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| `AM_FFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `AM_FFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `AM_GCJFLAGS` | 9.11 Java Support
| `AM_GNU_GETTEXT` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AM_HEADER_TIOCGWINSZ_NEEDS_SYS_IOCTL` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE` | 5.1 Configuration requirements
| `AM_INSTALLCHECK_STD_OPTIONS_EXEMPT` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| `AM_JAVACFLAGS` | 11.4 Java
| `AM_JAVACFLAGS` | 11.4 Java
| `AM_LDFLAGS` | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| `AM_LDFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `AM_LDFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `AM_MAINTAINER_MODE` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `AM_MAKEINFOFLAGS` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `AM_PATH_LISPDIR` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_PROG_GCJ` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `AM_RFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `AM_RFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `AM_RUNTESTFLAGS` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| `AUTOCONF` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS` | 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication
| `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS` | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| `AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
B |  |
| `bin_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `bin_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `build_alias` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `BUILT_SOURCES` | 10.4 Built sources
C |  |
| `CC` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `CCAS` | 9.9 Assembly Support
| `CCASFLAGS` | 9.9 Assembly Support
| `CFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `check_LTLIBRARIES` | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| `check_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `check_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `CLASSPATH_ENV` | 11.4 Java
| `CLASSPATH_ENV` | 11.4 Java
| `CLEANFILES` | 14. What Gets Cleaned
| `COMPILE` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `COMPILE` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `CPPFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `CXX` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXX` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXCOMPILE` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXCOMPILE` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXFLAGS` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXFLAGS` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXLINK` | 9.8 C++ Support
| `CXXLINK` | 9.8 C++ Support
D |  |
| `DATA` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| `data_DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| `DEFS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `DEJATOOL` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| `DESTDIR` | 13.4 Staged installs
| `dist_` | 15.2 Fine-grained distribution control
| `DIST_SUBDIRS` | 6.2.1 Conditional subdirectories with `AM_CONDITIONAL`
| `DIST_SUBDIRS` | 15.3 The dist hook
| `DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| `distcleancheck_listfiles` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| `distcleancheck_listfiles` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| `DISTCLEANFILES` | 14. What Gets Cleaned
| `distuninstallcheck_listfiles` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
E |  |
| `ELCFILES` | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| `ETAGS_ARGS` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| `ETAGSFLAGS` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| `EXPECT` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| `EXTRA_DIST` | 15.1 Basics of distribution
| `EXTRA_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs
F |  |
| `F77` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `F77` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `F77COMPILE` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `F77COMPILE` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `FFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `FFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `FLINK` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `FLINK` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
G |  |
| `GCJFLAGS` | 9.11 Java Support
| `GTAGS_ARGS` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
H |  |
| `HEADERS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `HEADERS` | 10.2 Header files
| `host_alias` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `host_triplet` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
I |  |
| `include_HEADERS` | 10.2 Header files
| `INCLUDES` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `INCLUDES` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `info_TEXINFOS` | 12.1 Texinfo
J |  |
| `JAVA` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `JAVAC` | 11.4 Java
| `JAVAC` | 11.4 Java
| `JAVACFLAGS` | 11.4 Java
| `JAVACFLAGS` | 11.4 Java
| `JAVAROOT` | 11.4 Java
| `JAVAROOT` | 11.4 Java
L |  |
| `LDADD` | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| `LDFLAGS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `lib_LIBRARIES` | 9.2 Building a library
| `lib_LTLIBRARIES` | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| `LIBADD` | 9.2 Building a library
| `libexec_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `libexec_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `LIBOBJS` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `LIBRARIES` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `LIBS` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `LINK` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `LINK` | 9.6 Variables used when building a program
| `LISP` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `LISP` | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| `lisp_LISP` | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| `localstate_DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
M |  |
| `MAINTAINERCLEANFILES` | 14. What Gets Cleaned
| `MAKE` | 6.1 Recursing subdirectories
| `MAKEFLAGS` | 6.1 Recursing subdirectories
| `MAKEINFO` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `MAKEINFOFLAGS` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `man_MANS` | 12.2 Man pages
| `MANS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `MANS` | 12.2 Man pages
| `MOSTLYCLEANFILES` | 14. What Gets Cleaned
N |  |
| `nodist_` | 15.2 Fine-grained distribution control
| `noinst_HEADERS` | 10.2 Header files
| `noinst_LIBRARIES` | 9.2 Building a library
| `noinst_LISP` | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| `noinst_LTLIBRARIES` | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| `noinst_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `noinst_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
O |  |
| `oldinclude_HEADERS` | 10.2 Header files
P |  |
| `PACKAGE` | 15.1 Basics of distribution
| `PACKAGE, directory` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `PACKAGE, prevent definition` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `pkgdata_DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| `pkgdata_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `pkgdatadir` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `pkginclude_HEADERS` | 10.2 Header files
| `pkgincludedir` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `pkglib_LIBRARIES` | 9.2 Building a library
| `pkglib_LTLIBRARIES` | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| `pkglib_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `pkglibdir` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `pkgpyexecdir` | 11.5 Python
| `pkgpyexecdir` | 11.5 Python
| `pkgpythondir` | 11.5 Python
| `pkgpythondir` | 11.5 Python
| `PROGRAMS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `PROGRAMS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `pyexecdir` | 11.5 Python
| `pyexecdir` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `PYTHON` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_EXEC_PREFIX` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_EXEC_PREFIX` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_PLATFORM` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_PLATFORM` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_PREFIX` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_PREFIX` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_VERSION` | 11.5 Python
| `PYTHON_VERSION` | 11.5 Python
| `pythondir` | 11.5 Python
| `pythondir` | 11.5 Python
R |  |
| `RFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `RFLAGS` | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| `RUNTEST` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| `RUNTESTDEFAULTFLAGS` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| `RUNTESTFLAGS` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
S |  |
| `sbin_PROGRAMS` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `sbin_SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `SCRIPTS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `SCRIPTS` | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| `sharedstate_DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| `SOURCES` | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `SUBDIRS` | 6.1 Recursing subdirectories
| `SUFFIXES` | 18.2 Handling new file extensions
| `sysconf_DATA` | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
T |  |
| `TAGS_DEPENDENCIES` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| `target_alias` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `TESTS` | 16.1 Simple Tests
| `TESTS_ENVIRONMENT` | 16.1 Simple Tests
| `TEXINFO_TEX` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `TEXINFOS` | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `TEXINFOS` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `TEXINFOS` | 12.1 Texinfo
V |  |
| `VERSION` | 15.1 Basics of distribution
| `VERSION, prevent definition` | 5.6.1 Public macros
W |  |
| `WARNINGS` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `WITH_DMALLOC` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `WITH_REGEX` | 5.6.1 Public macros
X |  |
| `XFAIL_TESTS` | 16.1 Simple Tests
Y |  |
| `YACC` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes

Jump to: | _ A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T V W X Y

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# General Index

Jump to: | # - @ _ A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

| Index Entry | Section
# |  |
| ## (special Automake comment) | 2.1 General Operation
- |  |
| `--acdir` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--add-missing` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--copy` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--cygnus` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| --enable-debug, example | 20. Conditionals
| `--enable-maintainer-mode` | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| `--force-missing` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--foreign` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--gnits` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| --gnits, complete description | 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
| `--gnu` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| --gnu, complete description | 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
| --gnu, required files | 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
| `--help` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--help` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--include-deps` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--libdir` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--no-force` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--output` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--output-dir` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--print-ac-dir` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--verbose` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--verbose` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--version` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--version` | 5.4 aclocal options
| `--warnings` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `--with-dmalloc` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `--with-regex` | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `-a` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `-c` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `-f` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| -hook targets | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `-i` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `-I` | 5.4 aclocal options
| -local targets | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `-o` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `-v` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| `-W` | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
@ |  |
| @ALLOCA@, special handling | 9.5 Special handling for LIBOBJS and ALLOCA
| @LIBOBJS@, special handling | 9.5 Special handling for LIBOBJS and ALLOCA
| @LTLIBOBJS@, special handling | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
_ |  |
| _DATA primary, defined | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| _DEPENDENCIES, defined | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| _HEADERS primary, defined | 10.2 Header files
| _JAVA primary, defined | 11.4 Java
| _LDFLAGS, defined | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| _LIBADD primary, defined | 9.2 Building a library
| _LIBRARIES primary, defined | 9.2 Building a library
| _LISP primary, defined | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| _LTLIBRARIES primary, defined | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| _MANS primary, defined | 12.2 Man pages
| _PROGRAMS primary variable | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| _PYTHON primary, defined | 11.5 Python
| _SCRIPTS primary, defined | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| _SOURCES and header files | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| _SOURCES primary, defined | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| _TEXINFOS primary, defined | 12.1 Texinfo
A |  |
| AC_OUTPUT, scanning | 5.1 Configuration requirements
| `AC_SUBST` and `SUBDIRS` | 6.2.2 Conditional subdirectories with `AC_SUBST`
| acinclude.m4, defined | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
| aclocal program, introduction | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
| aclocal search path | 5.5 Macro search path
| aclocal, extending | 5.7 Writing your own aclocal macros
| aclocal, Invoking | 5.3 Auto-generating aclocal.m4
| aclocal, Options | 5.4 aclocal options
| aclocal.m4, preexisting | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
| Adding new SUFFIXES | 18.2 Handling new file extensions
| `all` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `all-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `AM_CONDITIONAL` and `SUBDIRS` | 6.2.1 Conditional subdirectories with `AM_CONDITIONAL`
| AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE, example use | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
| `ansi2knr` | 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication
| Append operator | 2.1 General Operation
| Automake constraints | 1. Introduction
| Automake options | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| Automake requirements | 1. Introduction
| Automake requirements | 5.1 Configuration requirements
| Automake, invoking | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| Automake, recursive operation | 2.1 General Operation
| Automatic dependency tracking | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| Automatic linker selection | 9.10.3.1 How the Linker is Chosen
| Auxiliary programs | 2.6 Programs automake might require
| Avoiding path stripping | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
B |  |
| BUGS, reporting | 1. Introduction
| BUILT_SOURCES, defined | 10.4 Built sources
C |  |
| C++ support | 9.8 C++ Support
| canonicalizing Automake variables | 2.4 How derived variables are named
| cfortran | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| `check` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| check primary prefix, definition | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `check-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| check_LTLIBRARIES, not allowed | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| `clean` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `clean-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| Comment, special to Automake | 2.1 General Operation
| Complete example | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
| Conditional example, --enable-debug | 20. Conditionals
| Conditional subdirectories | 6.2 Conditional subdirectories
| Conditional `SUBDIRS` | 6.2 Conditional subdirectories
| Conditionals | 20. Conditionals
| config.guess | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| configure.in, from GNU Hello | 3.2 A classic program
| configure.in, scanning | 5. Scanning ``configure.in`'
| Constraints of Automake | 1. Introduction
| cpio example | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `cvs-dist` | 2.1 General Operation
| cvs-dist, non-standard example | 2.1 General Operation
| Cygnus strictness | 22. The effect of `--cygnus`
D |  |
| DATA primary, defined | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| de-ANSI-fication, defined | 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication
| `dejagnu` | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| depcomp | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| Dependency tracking | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| Dependency tracking, disabling | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| ``dirlist`' | 5.5.3 Modifying the macro search path: ``dirlist`'
| Disabling dependency tracking | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| `dist` | 15.1 Basics of distribution
| `dist-bzip2` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| `dist-gzip` | 15.5 The types of distributions
| `dist-hook` | 15.3 The dist hook
| `dist-hook` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `dist-shar` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| `dist-tarZ` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| `dist-zip` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| dist_ and nobase_ | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
| `DIST_SUBDIRS`, explained | 6.2.3 How `DIST_SUBDIRS` is used
| `distcheck` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| `distclean` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `distclean-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `distcleancheck` | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| dmalloc, support for | 5.6.1 Public macros
| `dvi` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `dvi-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
E |  |
| E-mail, bug reports | 1. Introduction
| EDITION Texinfo flag | 12.1 Texinfo
| `else` | 20. Conditionals
| `endif` | 20. Conditionals
| Example conditional --enable-debug | 20. Conditionals
| Example of recursive operation | 2.1 General Operation
| Example of shared libraries | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| Example, EXTRA_PROGRAMS | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Example, false and true | 3.3 Building true and false
| Example, GNU Hello | 3.2 A classic program
| Example, handling Texinfo files | 3.2 A classic program
| Example, mixed language | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| Example, regression test | 3.2 A classic program
| Executable extension | 9.15 Support for executable extensions
| Exit status 77, special interpretation | 16.1 Simple Tests
| Expected test failure | 16.1 Simple Tests
| Extending aclocal | 5.7 Writing your own aclocal macros
| Extending list of installation directories | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Extension, executable | 9.15 Support for executable extensions
| Extra files distributed with Automake | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| EXTRA_, prepending | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| EXTRA_prog_SOURCES, defined | 9.1.3.1 Conditional compilation using `_LDADD` substitutions
| EXTRA_PROGRAMS, defined | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| EXTRA_PROGRAMS, defined | 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs
F |  |
| false Example | 3.3 Building true and false
| Files distributed with Automake | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| First line of Makefile.am | 2.1 General Operation
| FLIBS, defined | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| foreign strictness | 2.2 Strictness
| Fortran 77 support | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| Fortran 77, mixing with C and C++ | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| Fortran 77, Preprocessing | 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77
G |  |
| Gettext support | 11.2 Gettext
| gnits strictness | 2.2 Strictness
| GNU Gettext support | 11.2 Gettext
| GNU Hello, configure.in | 3.2 A classic program
| GNU Hello, example | 3.2 A classic program
| GNU make extensions | 2.1 General Operation
| GNU Makefile standards | 1. Introduction
| gnu strictness | 2.2 Strictness
H |  |
| Header files in _SOURCES | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| HEADERS primary, defined | 10.2 Header files
| HEADERS, installation directories | 10.2 Header files
| Hello example | 3.2 A classic program
| Hello, configure.in | 3.2 A classic program
| hook targets | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| HP-UX 10, lex problems | 5.6.1 Public macros
| HTML support, example | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
I |  |
| `id` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| `if` | 20. Conditionals
| `include` | 19. Include
| INCLUDES, example usage | 3.2 A classic program
| Including Makefile fragment | 19. Include
| `info` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| `info` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `info-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install` | 13.2 The two parts of install
| `install` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| Install hook | 13.3 Extending installation
| Install, two parts of | 13.2 The two parts of install
| `install-data` | 13.2 The two parts of install
| `install-data-hook` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install-data-local` | 13.3 Extending installation
| `install-data-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install-exec` | 13.2 The two parts of install
| `install-exec` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install-exec-hook` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install-exec-local` | 13.3 Extending installation
| `install-exec-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `install-info` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `install-info` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| install-info target | 12.1 Texinfo
| `install-man` | 12.2 Man pages
| `install-man` | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| install-man target | 12.2 Man pages
| `install-strip` | 13.5 Rules for the user
| Installation directories, extending list | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Installation support | 13. What Gets Installed
| `installcheck` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `installcheck-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `installdirs` | 13.5 Rules for the user
| `installdirs` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `installdirs-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| Installing headers | 10.2 Header files
| Installing scripts | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| Invoking aclocal | 5.3 Auto-generating aclocal.m4
| Invoking Automake | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
J |  |
| JAVA primary, defined | 11.4 Java
| JAVA restrictions | 11.4 Java
| Java support | 9.11 Java Support
L |  |
| lex problems with HP-UX 10 | 5.6.1 Public macros
| lex, multiple lexers | 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
| LIBADD primary, defined | 9.2 Building a library
| LIBRARIES primary, defined | 9.2 Building a library
| Linking Fortran 77 with C and C++ | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| LISP primary, defined | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| local targets | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| LTLIBRARIES primary, defined | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
M |  |
| Macro search path | 5.5 Macro search path
| Macros Automake recognizes | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| make check | 16. Support for test suites
| make clean support | 14. What Gets Cleaned
| make dist | 15.1 Basics of distribution
| make distcheck | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| make distcleancheck | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| make distuninstallcheck | 15.4 Checking the distribution
| make install support | 13. What Gets Installed
| make installcheck | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Make targets, overriding | 2.1 General Operation
| Makefile fragment, including | 19. Include
| Makefile.am, first line | 2.1 General Operation
| MANS primary, defined | 12.2 Man pages
| mdate-sh | 12.1 Texinfo
| Mixed language example | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| Mixing Fortran 77 with C and C++ | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| Mixing Fortran 77 with C and/or C++ | 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++
| `mostlyclean` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `mostlyclean-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| Multiple configure.in files | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| Multiple lex lexers | 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
| Multiple yacc parsers | 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
N |  |
| `no-dependencies` | 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
| `no-installinfo` | 12.1 Texinfo
| `no-installman` | 12.2 Man pages
| `no-texinfo.tex` | 12.1 Texinfo
| nobase_ | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
| nobase_ and dist_ or nodist_ | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
| nodist_ and nobase_ | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
| noinst primary prefix, definition | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| noinstall-info target | 12.1 Texinfo
| noinstall-man target | 12.2 Man pages
| Non-GNU packages | 2.2 Strictness
| Non-standard targets | 2.1 General Operation
O |  |
| Objects in subdirectory | 9.4 Program and Library Variables
| Option, ansi2knr | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, check-news | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, cygnus | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, dejagnu | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, dist-bzip2 | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, dist-shar | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, dist-tarZ | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, dist-zip | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, foreign | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, gnits | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, gnu | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-define | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-dependencies | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-exeext | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-installinfo | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-installman | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, no-texinfo | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, nostdinc | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, readme-alpha | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, version | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Option, warnings | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Options, aclocal | 5.4 aclocal options
| Options, Automake | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| Options, std-options | 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
| Overriding make targets | 2.1 General Operation
| Overriding make variables | 2.1 General Operation
P |  |
| Path stripping, avoiding | 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
| `pdf` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `pdf-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| pkgdatadir, defined | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| pkgincludedir, defined | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| pkglibdir, defined | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| POSIX termios headers | 5.6.1 Public macros
| Preprocessing Fortran 77 | 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77
| Primary variable, DATA | 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
| Primary variable, defined | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Primary variable, HEADERS | 10.2 Header files
| Primary variable, JAVA | 11.4 Java
| Primary variable, LIBADD | 9.2 Building a library
| Primary variable, LIBRARIES | 9.2 Building a library
| Primary variable, LISP | 11.1 Emacs Lisp
| Primary variable, LTLIBRARIES | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| Primary variable, MANS | 12.2 Man pages
| Primary variable, PROGRAMS | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Primary variable, PYTHON | 11.5 Python
| Primary variable, SCRIPTS | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| Primary variable, SOURCES | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| Primary variable, TEXINFOS | 12.1 Texinfo
| prog_LDADD, defined | 9.1.2 Linking the program
| PROGRAMS primary variable | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| Programs, auxiliary | 2.6 Programs automake might require
| PROGRAMS, bindir | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| `ps` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `ps-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| PYTHON primary, defined | 11.5 Python
R |  |
| Ratfor programs | 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77
| README-alpha | 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
| Recognized macros by Automake | 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
| Recursive operation of Automake | 2.1 General Operation
| regex package | 5.6.1 Public macros
| Regression test example | 3.2 A classic program
| Reporting BUGS | 1. Introduction
| Requirements of Automake | 5.1 Configuration requirements
| Requirements, Automake | 1. Introduction
| Restrictions for JAVA | 11.4 Java
| rx package | 5.6.1 Public macros
S |  |
| Scanning configure.in | 5. Scanning ``configure.in`'
| SCRIPTS primary, defined | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| SCRIPTS, installation directories | 10.1 Executable Scripts
| Selecting the linker automatically | 9.10.3.1 How the Linker is Chosen
| Shared libraries, support for | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| ``site.exp`' | 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
| SOURCES primary, defined | 9.1.1 Defining program sources
| Special Automake comment | 2.1 General Operation
| Strictness, command line | 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
| Strictness, defined | 2.2 Strictness
| Strictness, foreign | 2.2 Strictness
| Strictness, gnits | 2.2 Strictness
| Strictness, gnu | 2.2 Strictness
| Subdirectories, building conditionally | 6.2 Conditional subdirectories
| Subdirectory, objects in | 9.4 Program and Library Variables
| `SUBDIRS` and `AC_SUBST` | 6.2.2 Conditional subdirectories with `AC_SUBST`
| `SUBDIRS` and `AM_CONDITIONAL` | 6.2.1 Conditional subdirectories with `AM_CONDITIONAL`
| `SUBDIRS`, conditional | 6.2 Conditional subdirectories
| SUBDIRS, explained | 6.1 Recursing subdirectories
| suffix .la, defined | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| suffix .lo, defined | 9.3 Building a Shared Library
| SUFFIXES, adding | 18.2 Handling new file extensions
| Support for C++ | 9.8 C++ Support
| Support for Fortran 77 | 9.10 Fortran 77 Support
| Support for GNU Gettext | 11.2 Gettext
| Support for Java | 9.11 Java Support
T |  |
| `tags` | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| TAGS support | 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
| Target, install-info | 12.1 Texinfo
| Target, install-man | 12.2 Man pages
| Target, noinstall-info | 12.1 Texinfo
| Target, noinstall-man | 12.2 Man pages
| termios POSIX headers | 5.6.1 Public macros
| Test suites | 16. Support for test suites
| Tests, expected failure | 16.1 Simple Tests
| Texinfo file handling example | 3.2 A classic program
| Texinfo flag, EDITION | 12.1 Texinfo
| Texinfo flag, UPDATED | 12.1 Texinfo
| Texinfo flag, UPDATED-MONTH | 12.1 Texinfo
| Texinfo flag, VERSION | 12.1 Texinfo
| texinfo.tex | 12.1 Texinfo
| TEXINFOS primary, defined | 12.1 Texinfo
| true Example | 3.3 Building true and false
U |  |
| Uniform naming scheme | 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
| `uninstall` | 13.5 Rules for the user
| `uninstall` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `uninstall-hook` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| `uninstall-local` | 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
| UPDATED Texinfo flag | 12.1 Texinfo
| UPDATED-MONTH Texinfo flag | 12.1 Texinfo
| user variables | 2.5 Variables reserved for the user
V |  |
| Variables, overriding | 2.1 General Operation
| variables, reserved for the user | 2.5 Variables reserved for the user
| VERSION Texinfo flag | 12.1 Texinfo
W |  |
| Windows | 9.15 Support for executable extensions
Y |  |
| yacc, multiple parsers | 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
| ylwrap | 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
Z |  |
| zardoz example | 3.1 A simple example, start to finish

Jump to: | # - @ _ A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

[Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

# Footnotes

### (1)

These variables are also called make macros in Make terminology, however in this manual we reserve the term macro for Autoconf's macros.

### (2)

Autoconf 2.50 promotes ``configure.ac`' over ``configure.in`'. The rest of this documentation will refer to ``configure.in`' as this use is not yet spread, but Automake supports ``configure.ac`' too.

### (3)

Don't try seeking a solution where ``opt/Makefile`' is created conditionally, this is a lot trickier than the solutions presented here.

### (4)

We believe. This work is new and there are probably warts. See section 1. Introduction, for information on reporting bugs.

### (5)

There are other, more obscure reasons reasons for this limitation as well.

### (6)

Much, if not most, of the information in the following sections pertaining to preprocessing Fortran 77 programs was taken almost verbatim from section `Catalogue of Rules' in The GNU Make Manual.

### (7)

For example, the cfortran package addresses all of these inter-language issues, and runs under nearly all Fortran 77, C and C++ compilers on nearly all platforms. However, `cfortran` is not yet Free Software, but it will be in the next major release.

### (8)

See http://sources.redhat.com/automake/dependencies.html for more information on the history and experiences with automatic dependency tracking in Automake

### (9)

However, for the case of a non-installed header file that is actually used by a particular program, we recommend listing it in the program's ``_SOURCES`' variable instead of in `noinst_HEADERS`. We believe this is more clear.

[Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

# Table of Contents

> 1. Introduction
> 2. General ideas

> > 2.1 General Operation
> > 2.2 Strictness
> > 2.3 The Uniform Naming Scheme
> > 2.4 How derived variables are named
> > 2.5 Variables reserved for the user
> > 2.6 Programs automake might require

> 3. Some example packages

> > 3.1 A simple example, start to finish
> > 3.2 A classic program
> > 3.3 Building true and false

> 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
> 5. Scanning ``configure.in`'

> > 5.1 Configuration requirements
> > 5.2 Other things Automake recognizes
> > 5.3 Auto-generating aclocal.m4
> > 5.4 aclocal options
> > 5.5 Macro search path

> > > 5.5.1 Modifying the macro search path: `--acdir`
> > > 5.5.2 Modifying the macro search path: `-I dir`
> > > 5.5.3 Modifying the macro search path: ``dirlist`'

> > 5.6 Autoconf macros supplied with Automake

> > > 5.6.1 Public macros
> > > 5.6.2 Private macros

> > 5.7 Writing your own aclocal macros

> 6. The top-level ``Makefile.am`'

> > 6.1 Recursing subdirectories
> > 6.2 Conditional subdirectories

> > > 6.2.1 Conditional subdirectories with `AM_CONDITIONAL`
> > > 6.2.2 Conditional subdirectories with `AC_SUBST`
> > > 6.2.3 How `DIST_SUBDIRS` is used

> 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
> 8. Rebuilding Makefiles
> 9. Building Programs and Libraries

> > 9.1 Building a program

> > > 9.1.1 Defining program sources
> > > 9.1.2 Linking the program
> > > 9.1.3 Conditional compilation of sources

> > > > 9.1.3.1 Conditional compilation using `_LDADD` substitutions
> > > > 9.1.3.2 Conditional compilation using Automake conditionals

> > > 9.1.4 Conditional compilation of programs

> > 9.2 Building a library
> > 9.3 Building a Shared Library
> > 9.4 Program and Library Variables
> > 9.5 Special handling for LIBOBJS and ALLOCA
> > 9.6 Variables used when building a program
> > 9.7 Yacc and Lex support
> > 9.8 C++ Support
> > 9.9 Assembly Support
> > 9.10 Fortran 77 Support

> > > 9.10.1 Preprocessing Fortran 77
> > > 9.10.2 Compiling Fortran 77 Files
> > > 9.10.3 Mixing Fortran 77 With C and C++

> > > > 9.10.3.1 How the Linker is Chosen

> > > 9.10.4 Fortran 77 and Autoconf

> > 9.11 Java Support
> > 9.12 Support for Other Languages
> > 9.13 Automatic de-ANSI-fication
> > 9.14 Automatic dependency tracking
> > 9.15 Support for executable extensions

> 10. Other Derived Objects

> > 10.1 Executable Scripts
> > 10.2 Header files
> > 10.3 Architecture-independent data files
> > 10.4 Built sources

> > > 10.4.1 Built sources example
> > > First try
> > > Using `BUILT_SOURCES`
> > > Recording dependencies manually
> > > Build ``bindir.h`' from ``configure`'
> > > Build ``bindir.c`', not ``bindir.h`'.
> > > Which is best?

> 11. Other GNU Tools

> > 11.1 Emacs Lisp
> > 11.2 Gettext
> > 11.3 Libtool
> > 11.4 Java
> > 11.5 Python

> 12. Building documentation

> > 12.1 Texinfo
> > 12.2 Man pages

> 13. What Gets Installed

> > 13.1 Basics of installation
> > 13.2 The two parts of install
> > 13.3 Extending installation
> > 13.4 Staged installs
> > 13.5 Rules for the user

> 14. What Gets Cleaned
> 15. What Goes in a Distribution

> > 15.1 Basics of distribution
> > 15.2 Fine-grained distribution control
> > 15.3 The dist hook
> > 15.4 Checking the distribution
> > 15.5 The types of distributions

> 16. Support for test suites

> > 16.1 Simple Tests
> > 16.2 DejaGNU Tests
> > 16.3 Install Tests

> 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
> 18. Miscellaneous Rules

> > 18.1 Interfacing to `etags`
> > 18.2 Handling new file extensions
> > 18.3 Support for Multilibs

> 19. Include
> 20. Conditionals
> 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
> 22. The effect of `--cygnus`
> 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
> 24. Distributing ``Makefile.in`'s
> 25. Automake API versioning
> Macro and Variable Index
> General Index

[Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

# Short Table of Contents

> 1. Introduction
> 2. General ideas
> 3. Some example packages
> 4. Creating a ``Makefile.in`'
> 5. Scanning ``configure.in`'
> 6. The top-level ``Makefile.am`'
> 7. An Alternative Approach to Subdirectories
> 8. Rebuilding Makefiles
> 9. Building Programs and Libraries
> 10. Other Derived Objects
> 11. Other GNU Tools
> 12. Building documentation
> 13. What Gets Installed
> 14. What Gets Cleaned
> 15. What Goes in a Distribution
> 16. Support for test suites
> 17. Changing Automake's Behavior
> 18. Miscellaneous Rules
> 19. Include
> 20. Conditionals
> 21. The effect of `--gnu` and `--gnits`
> 22. The effect of `--cygnus`
> 23. When Automake Isn't Enough
> 24. Distributing ``Makefile.in`'s
> 25. Automake API versioning
> Macro and Variable Index
> General Index

[Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

# About this document

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