4 These are generic installation instructions.
6 The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for
7 various system-dependent variables used during compilation. It uses
8 those values to create a `Makefile' in each directory of the package.
9 It may also create one or more `.h' files containing system-dependent
10 definitions. Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that
11 you can run in the future to recreate the current configuration, and a
12 file `config.log' containing compiler output (useful mainly for
13 debugging `configure').
15 It can also use an optional file (typically called `config.cache'
16 and enabled with `--cache-file=config.cache' or simply `-C') that saves
17 the results of its tests to speed up reconfiguring. (Caching is
18 disabled by default to prevent problems with accidental use of stale
21 If you need to do unusual things to compile the package, please try
22 to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail
23 diffs or instructions to the address given in the `README' so they can
24 be considered for the next release. If you are using the cache, and at
25 some point `config.cache' contains results you don't want to keep, you
26 may remove or edit it.
28 The file `configure.ac' (or `configure.in') is used to create
29 `configure' by a program called `autoconf'. You only need
30 `configure.ac' if you want to change it or regenerate `configure' using
31 a newer version of `autoconf'.
33 The simplest way to compile this package is:
35 1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type
36 `./configure' to configure the package for your system. If you're
37 using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type
38 `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
41 Running `configure' takes awhile. While running, it prints some
42 messages telling which features it is checking for.
44 2. Type `make' to compile the package.
46 3. Optionally, type `make check' to run any self-tests that come with
49 4. Type `make install' to install the programs and any data files and
52 5. You can remove the program binaries and object files from the
53 source code directory by typing `make clean'. To also remove the
54 files that `configure' created (so you can compile the package for
55 a different kind of computer), type `make distclean'. There is
56 also a `make maintainer-clean' target, but that is intended mainly
57 for the package's developers. If you use it, you may have to get
58 all sorts of other programs in order to regenerate files that came
59 with the distribution.
64 Some systems require unusual options for compilation or linking that
65 the `configure' script does not know about. Run `./configure --help'
66 for details on some of the pertinent environment variables.
68 You can give `configure' initial values for variables by setting
69 them in the environment. You can do that on the command line like this:
71 ./configure CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix
73 *Note Environment Variables::, for more details.
75 Compiling For Multiple Architectures
76 ====================================
78 You can compile the package for more than one kind of computer at the
79 same time, by placing the object files for each architecture in their
80 own directory. To do this, you must use a version of `make' that
81 supports the `VPATH' variable, such as GNU `make'. `cd' to the
82 directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run
83 the `configure' script. `configure' automatically checks for the
84 source code in the directory that `configure' is in and in `..'.
86 If you have to use a `make' that does not support the `VPATH'
87 variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a time
88 in the source code directory. After you have installed the package for
89 one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring for another
95 By default, `make install' will install the package's files in
96 `/usr/local/bin', `/usr/local/man', etc. You can specify an
97 installation prefix other than `/usr/local' by giving `configure' the
98 option `--prefix=PATH'.
100 You can specify separate installation prefixes for
101 architecture-specific files and architecture-independent files. If you
102 give `configure' the option `--exec-prefix=PATH', the package will use
103 PATH as the prefix for installing programs and libraries.
104 Documentation and other data files will still use the regular prefix.
106 In addition, if you use an unusual directory layout you can give
107 options like `--bindir=PATH' to specify different values for particular
108 kinds of files. Run `configure --help' for a list of the directories
109 you can set and what kinds of files go in them.
111 If the package supports it, you can cause programs to be installed
112 with an extra prefix or suffix on their names by giving `configure' the
113 option `--program-prefix=PREFIX' or `--program-suffix=SUFFIX'.
118 Some packages pay attention to `--enable-FEATURE' options to
119 `configure', where FEATURE indicates an optional part of the package.
120 They may also pay attention to `--with-PACKAGE' options, where PACKAGE
121 is something like `gnu-as' or `x' (for the X Window System). The
122 `README' should mention any `--enable-' and `--with-' options that the
125 For packages that use the X Window System, `configure' can usually
126 find the X include and library files automatically, but if it doesn't,
127 you can use the `configure' options `--x-includes=DIR' and
128 `--x-libraries=DIR' to specify their locations.
130 Specifying the System Type
131 ==========================
133 There may be some features `configure' cannot figure out
134 automatically, but needs to determine by the type of host the package
135 will run on. Usually `configure' can figure that out, but if it prints
136 a message saying it cannot guess the host type, give it the
137 `--build=TYPE' option. TYPE can either be a short name for the system
138 type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name which has the form:
142 where SYSTEM can have one of these forms:
147 See the file `config.sub' for the possible values of each field. If
148 `config.sub' isn't included in this package, then this package doesn't
149 need to know the host type.
151 If you are _building_ compiler tools for cross-compiling, you should
152 use the `--target=TYPE' option to select the type of system they will
155 If you want to _use_ a cross compiler, that generates code for a
156 platform different from the build platform, you should specify the host
157 platform (i.e., that on which the generated programs will eventually be
158 run) with `--host=TYPE'. In this case, you should also specify the
159 build platform with `--build=TYPE', because, in this case, it may not
160 be possible to guess the build platform (it sometimes involves
161 compiling and running simple test programs, and this can't be done if
162 the compiler is a cross compiler).
167 If you want to set default values for `configure' scripts to share,
168 you can create a site shell script called `config.site' that gives
169 default values for variables like `CC', `cache_file', and `prefix'.
170 `configure' looks for `PREFIX/share/config.site' if it exists, then
171 `PREFIX/etc/config.site' if it exists. Or, you can set the
172 `CONFIG_SITE' environment variable to the location of the site script.
173 A warning: not all `configure' scripts look for a site script.
175 Environment Variables
176 =====================
178 Variables not defined in a site shell script can be set in the
179 environment passed to configure. However, some packages may run
180 configure again during the build, and the customized values of these
181 variables may be lost. In order to avoid this problem, you should set
182 them in the `configure' command line, using `VAR=value'. For example:
184 ./configure CC=/usr/local2/bin/gcc
186 will cause the specified gcc to be used as the C compiler (unless it is
187 overridden in the site shell script).
189 `configure' Invocation
190 ======================
192 `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it
197 Print a summary of the options to `configure', and exit.
201 Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
205 Enable the cache: use and save the results of the tests in FILE,
206 traditionally `config.cache'. FILE defaults to `/dev/null' to
211 Alias for `--cache-file=config.cache'.
216 Do not print messages saying which checks are being made. To
217 suppress all normal output, redirect it to `/dev/null' (any error
218 messages will still be shown).
221 Look for the package's source code in directory DIR. Usually
222 `configure' can determine that directory automatically.
224 `configure' also accepts some other, not widely useful, options. Run
225 `configure --help' for more details.