#### Linux From Scratch - Version 7.10

### Chapter 6. Installing Basic System Software

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# 6.43. Autoconf-2.69

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

Approximate build time: less than 0.1 SBU (about 3.5 SBU with tests)
Required disk space: 17.5 MB

## 6.43.1. Installation of Autoconf

Prepare Autoconf for compilation:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr

Compile the package:

    make

To test the results, issue:

    make check

This takes a long time, about 3.5 SBUs. In addition, several tests are skipped that use Automake. For full test coverage, Autoconf can be re-tested after Automake has been installed. In addition, two tests fail due to changes in libtool-2.4.3 and later.

Install the package:

    make install

## 6.43.2. Contents of Autoconf

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

### Short Descriptions

autoconf | Produces shell scripts that automatically configure software source code packages to adapt to many kinds of Unix-like systems; the configuration scripts it produces are independent—running them does not require the autoconf program
autoheader | A tool for creating template files of C #define statements for configure to use
autom4te | A wrapper for the M4 macro processor
autoreconf | Automatically runs autoconf, autoheader, aclocal, automake, gettextize, and libtoolize in the correct order to save time when changes are made to autoconf and automake template files
autoscan | Helps to create a `configure.in` file for a software package; it examines the source files in a directory tree, searching them for common portability issues, and creates a `configure.scan` file that serves as as a preliminary `configure.in` file for the package
autoupdate | Modifies a `configure.in` file that still calls autoconf macros by their old names to use the current macro names
ifnames | Helps when writing `configure.in` files for a software package; it prints the identifiers that the package uses in C preprocessor conditionals [If a package has already been set up to have some portability, this program can help determine what configure needs to check for. It can also fill in gaps in a `configure.in` file generated by autoscan.]

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