Configure script: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:29, 9 April 2007

Revision as of 07:18, 9 April 2007

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[[Image:Autoconf.svg|thumb|300px|Flow diagram including configure, [[autoconf]] and [[automake]], three tools in the GNU build system]]

'''Configure scripts''' are generated by the [[Autotools]] suite of build management tools. These scripts query the system on which they run for environment settings, platform architecture, and the existence and ___location of required build and runtime dependencies. They then use the gathered [[Intelligence (information gathering)|intelinformation]] to process and fill out templates, customarily ending in <code>.in</code>. After successful completion, it is common for configure scripts to print a report to the developer invoking them.

Because of the platform independence and broad developer experience with the configure script interface, many popular pieces of [[free software]] and [[proprietary software]] use this system during their system detection and [[makefile]] generation phase. After configure scripts have been created, building software that makes use of them is as simple as