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#1 2004-11-25 17:59:09

punkrockguy318
Member
From: New Jersey
Registered: 2004-02-15
Posts: 711
Website

Autotools

Does anyone know of a nice simple automake/autotools documentation?  I prefer SCons because it's so easy to use.. But since automake and autotools is used for 90% of OSS projects, I'd like to know how to use it.  Does anyone know of a good simple documenation?

Please don't say man automake... i've tried... tmi!


If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.   1 Corinthians 13:2

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#2 2004-11-25 18:14:53

sarah31
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From: Middle of Canada
Registered: 2002-08-20
Posts: 2,975
Website

Re: Autotools

have you tried googl.com/linux and entered keywords such as automake tutorial? that is where i would start. ..... or see if the project has a homepage there might be a tutorial there.


AKA uknowme

I am not your friend

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#3 2004-11-26 12:43:51

kpiche
Forum Fellow
From: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Registered: 2004-03-30
Posts: 246
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Re: Autotools

I think www.gnome.org had a decent auto* tutorial, not sure...

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#4 2004-11-26 12:57:41

orelien
Forum Fellow
From: France
Registered: 2002-12-05
Posts: 220
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Re: Autotools

You can have a look at "The Goat Book" : http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/

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#5 2004-11-30 16:20:23

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: Autotools

orelien wrote:

You can have a look at "The Goat Book" : http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/

Yup, there's a book out about autotools, you can buy it or get it free at that link.  Autotools is flat out nasty.  I hate it and most developers would agree.. it's overly clunky and a waste of time.  That said, it gets the job done, and allows for cross-platform compiliation.  punkrock, I think you were the one who pointed me to SCons in the first place, and I thank you for that.

As for learning this stuff... I would get familiar with makefile syntax first, as it's easier to understand.  Then you need to learn/understand a bit of m4 (macro language) which is used by the automake/autoconf tools.... there's a scanning tool which works nicely in the beginning.... can't recall the name though.

My advice to you is this:
understand how it works, generate the configure script and distribute that script with the Makefile.in (?) only - I hate getting packages that have all the autotools slough in it...

PS - where the crap is my avatar?

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