AUTORECONF(1)

📦 version 2.13, in debian bookworm, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

🦋 AUTORECONF2.13 — update configure scripts 🦋

okay bestie, so this is the autoreconf2.13 page from the General Commands Manual, and she is literally the group-project manager you wish you had. Let's get into it. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

autoreconf2.13 — update configure scripts

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

autoreconf2.13 [ --help | -h ] [ --force | -f ] [ --localdir=dir | -l dir ] [ --macrodir=dir | -m dir ] [ --verbose ] [ --version ]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so like, if you're out here drowning in a whole pile of Autoconf-generated configure scripts, autoreconf2.13 is here to save you some work, no cap. She runs autoconf2.13 (and autoheader2.13, where appropriate) over and over to remake the Autoconf configure scripts and configuration header templates in the directory tree rooted at the current directory. 🔁

by default she only remakes those files that are older than their configure.in or (if present) aclocal.m4. and here's the lil catch — since autoheader2.13 does not change the timestamp of its output file if the file wouldn't be changing, this is not necessarily the minimum amount of work. 🙈 so if you install a new version of Autoconf, you can make autoreconf2.13 remake all of the files by giving it the --force option. iconic behaviour honestly. 💅

if you give autoreconf2.13 the --macrodir=DIR or --localdir=DIR options, she passes them down to autoconf2.13 and autoheader2.13 (with relative paths adjusted properly). she's a good messenger like that. 🫶

⚠️ ok real talk, here's a limitation and it matters: autoreconf2.13 does not support having, in the same directory tree, both directories that are parts of a larger package (sharing aclocal.m4 and acconfig.h), and directories that are independent packages (each with their own aclocal.m4 and acconfig.h). she assumes that they are all part of the same package, if you use --localdir, or that each directory is a separate package, if you don't use it. this restriction may be removed in the future. so like… don't mix your vibes and expect her to figure it out. 💀

autoreconf2.13 accepts the following options:

👑 the options, bestie 👑

  • --help, -h — print a summary of the command line options and exit. your lil "what even are you" button. 💖
  • --force, -f — remake even configure scripts and configuration headers that are newer than their input files (configure.in and, if present, aclocal.m4). yes queen, redo it all anyway. 🔥
  • --localdir=DIR, -l DIR — look for the package file aclocal.m4 in directory DIR instead of in the current directory. 📁
  • --macrodir=DIR, -m DIR — look for the installed macro files in directory DIR. you can also set the AC_MACRODIR environment variable to a directory; this option overrides the environment variable. so the flag wins, periodt. ⭐
  • --verbose — print the name of each directory where autoreconf2.13 runs autoconf2.13 (and autoheader2.13, if appropriate). she'll narrate her whole journey, and honestly? we love a chatty icon. 🎀
  • --version — print the version number of Autoconf and exit. 🦋

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read those too, iykyk. 👑

💜 AUTHORS 💜

David MacKenzie, with help from Franc,ois Pinard, Karl Berry, Richard Pixley, Ian Lance Taylor, Roland McGrath, Noah Friedman, David D. Zuhn, and many others. this manpage written by Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux autoconf2.13 package. 🫶

and that's the whole page bestie! the lil footer down there just says Autoconf — that's the source/version vibe this whole thing is serving. thanks for reading, go remake those configure scripts, you absolute main character. 💅✨🌸🦋🎀

📦 where this page comes from