Talk:Configure script

Standard language

Is there a standard language used for expressing configure scripts? E.g., are configure scripts always written in Bourne shell syntax? --Abdull (talk) 13:50, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

I think it would depend on the shell being used, config scripts are usually supplied in the most common language (sh) but you could make one for another shell too I suppose. As long as the makefile ends up the same.217.122.183.107 (talk) 11:42, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

The purpose of this page is to place the configure script in context for the intermediate linux user. Advanced users are should be directed to Autoconf: the tool designed to build the configure script. An in depth discussion of Autoconf, the subject of several books , is outside the scope of this article and would confuse the intermediate linux user.

It has happened to me :) Nickvence (talk) 01:37, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

References

"Software developers simplify the challenge of cross-platform software development by using GNU's Autotools"

16 steps is a simplification? Really? I propose that this line is changed to "Software developers complicate the challenge of cross-platform software development by using GNU's Autotools". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.144.115.134 (talk) 03:35, 23 April 2012 (UTC)

'configure.in' is deprecated, instead use only 'configure.ac'

Note: autoconf input scripts should be named configure.ac, not configure.in. The latter works only to provide backwards compatibility, but this name is deprecated now. The way that this article is written makes it seem like there is no preference as to which name you should give the file.

2620:0:2820:220A:A5CE:5E1F:C231:7767 (talk) 05:25, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

./configure Examples

The text describes "enabling/disabling" features, but only provides "--prefix" and "--libs" options, while it should definitely provide some "--enable-FEATURE[=ARG]" options at the very least.

2620:0:2820:220A:A5CE:5E1F:C231:7767 (talk) 17:32, 21 May 2013 (UTC)

Sun/Oracle link

It looks like Oracle killed the Introduction to GNU Build Tools article (and the Sun Developer Network too?).

This link has an archived copy of the URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20120626153943/http://developers.sun.com/solaris/articles/gnu.html

Is it an acceptable replacement? Kayvlim (talk) 01:44, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

Criticism?

As you can see on the diagram in this wiki, autotools is awfully complicated and some calls it "autohell insanity". --14.198.220.253 (talk) 09:53, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

That's fair. Stevebroshar (talk) 23:30, 15 December 2024 (UTC)

Is the complicated picture showing the GNU autoconf and automake programs the best representation of the material

104.228.101.152 (talk) 17:19, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

Sadly, yes :( Stevebroshar (talk) 23:29, 15 December 2024 (UTC)

After more study into the subject I removed the pic. This article is about the concept/pattern of the configure script. Autotools is often used to generate such a script, but you can create it other ways. Therefore diving into the gory details of autotools seems off topic. The Autotools article is linked and it contains the same pic. Stevebroshar (talk) 13:33, 19 December 2024 (UTC)