Forrest logo
back to the autoconf tool

autoconf:tldr:664d5

autoconf: Generate a configuration script from the specified template; output to `stdout`.
$ autoconf ${template-file}
try on your machine

The command "autoconf ${template-file}" is used in the GNU Autotools build system to automatically generate a "configure" script based on a template file.

Here's a breakdown of each component:

  • "autoconf" is the command that invokes the Autoconf tool. Autoconf is responsible for processing the "configure.ac" (or "configure.in") file and generating the final "configure" script.

  • "${template-file}" is a placeholder for the actual template file name. This should be replaced with the name of the file you want to use as the input template for generating the "configure" script. The template file typically has a ".ac" or ".in" extension.

When you run this command, Autoconf reads the template file and uses its contents, along with any predefined macros or settings, to generate the "configure" script. This script is responsible for configuring the build environment, checking for dependencies, setting up compilation flags, generating Makefiles, and other tasks necessary for building the software on different systems.

This explanation was created by an AI. In most cases those are correct. But please always be careful and never run a command you are not sure if it is safe.
back to the autoconf tool