configure

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-15"?>

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"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [

<!ENTITY firstname "Pierre">

<!ENTITY surname "Pronchery">

<!ENTITY email "khorben@defora.org">

<!ENTITY section "1">

<!ENTITY package "DeforaOS configure">

<!ENTITY name "configure">

<!ENTITY title "configure documentation">

<!ENTITY purpose "Generates and maintain software build systems">

<title>&title;</title>

<productname>&package;</productname>

<firstname>&firstname;</firstname>

<surname>&surname;</surname>

<contrib>Code and documentation.</contrib>

<email>&email;</email>

</address>

</author>

</authorgroup>

<holder>&firstname; &surname; <&email;></holder>

</copyright>

<para>This manual page was written for the DeforaOS project (and may be

used by others).</para>

<para>Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this

document under the terms of the GNU General Public License,

Version 3 as published by the Free Software Foundation.</para>

</legalnotice>

</refentryinfo>

<manvolnum>&section;</manvolnum>

</refmeta>

<refpurpose>&purpose;</refpurpose>

</refnamediv>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-b</option> <replaceable>bindir</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-d</option> <replaceable>destdir</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-i</option> <replaceable>includedir</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-l</option> <replaceable>libdir</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-O</option> <replaceable>system</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-p</option> <replaceable>prefix</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt"><option>-s</option> <replaceable>sbindir</replaceable></arg>

<arg rep="repeat"><replaceable>directory</replaceable></arg>

</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<title>Description</title>

<para>

&name; generates and maintain software build systems, suitable for use with

the most common implementations of the make command. It uses project

description files to provide simple Makefiles. It is intended to keep the

code generated as simple and portable as possible.

</para>

<para>

It processes the current directory, or the ones given at the command line,

according to the project configuration files encountered.

</para>

</refsect1>

<title>Options</title>

<para>The following options are available:</para>

<para>Where to install regular executables (BINDIR)</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>Where to stage the installation (DESTDIR)</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>Where to install header files (INCLUDEDIR)</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>Where to install libraries (LIBDIR)</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>This option just parses the project definition files, without

actually re-generating the Makefiles.</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>Force a specific platform, bypassing auto-detection.</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>Where to base the package installation (PREFIX)</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>This option runs &name; in quiet mode.</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>This option warns about potential security risks.</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>This option gives information about the progress of the

operation.</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</refsect1>

<title>Overview</title>

<title>What is &package;</title>

<para>

&package; generates Makefiles needed in an entire project. Instead

of trying every little trick to let it work in a number of

potential uses, it sticks to the simplest possible code

generation.

</para>

<para>

Although primarily dedicated to the generation of build systems through

Makefiles, primarily to compile source code in the C/C++ and assembly

languages, &package; can be extended for integration with external software

and processes such as translations, documentation generation, or dynamic

bindings for instance.</para>

<para>

Basic support for Java and Verilog is also available.

</para>

</refsect2>

<title>Who should use &package;</title>

<para>

Some software developers could gain using &package;. However, due to its

intentional simplicity, it may also be limiting in some cases; this can

be expected when building large projects in particular.

</para>

<para>

Advanced users willing to modify the build process of projects using

&package; may have to learn about &package; as well.

</para>

</refsect2>

<title>Who should not use &package;</title>

<para>

&package; was primarily designed for projects using the C or C++

languages. Although possibly extended through the help of shell scripts,

&package; may not be appropriate for other languages or complex build

processes.

</para>

</refsect2>

<title>Why use &package;</title>

<para>

&package; was created to be efficient at writing simple and compliant

Makefiles for software development projects of all sizes. It should be

useful:

<listitem><para>for people learning software development using

Makefiles;</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>for developers of C/C++ software

projects;</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>for developers concerned by the readability, efficiency,

portability or maintenance of their Makefiles.</para></listitem>

</itemizedlist>

</para>

</refsect2>

<title>Migrating to &package;</title>

<para>

You may first create all necessary "project.conf" files with the

subdirectories definitions. Then for every binary or library built, specify

the adequate target along with its section.

</para>

<para>

When migrating from automake/autoconf, the existing subdirectories are

defined in the "Makefile.am" files, in the "SUBDIRS" variable. The binary

targets are defined in the same file, as the "bin_PROGRAMS" variable, each

declined to "program_SOURCES" for their respective source files.

</para>

</refsect2>

</refsect1>

<title>Files</title>

<para>

<term><filename>project.conf</filename></term>

<listitem><para>Project definition files.</para></listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect1>

<para>Issues can be listed and reported at <ulink

url="https://www.defora.org/os/project/bug_list/16/configure"/>.</para>

</refsect1>

<para>

</citerefentry>,

<refentrytitle>project.conf</refentrytitle>

</citerefentry>

</para>

<title>Additional resources</title>

<para>More information can be found on the project page at <ulink

url="https://www.defora.org/os/project/16/configure"/>.</para>

</refsect2>

</refsect1>

</refentry>