Configure script

When installing a package on a Unix or Unix-like environment, a configure script is a shell script that generates build configuration files for a codebase to facilitate cross-platform support. It generates files tailoring for the host system the environment on which the codebase is built and run. Even though there are no standards for such a script, the pattern is so ubiquitous that many developers are familiar with and even expect a script named configure that has this functionality. The script can be and originally was hand-coded. Today, multiple tools are available for generating a configure script based on special configuration files. One commonly used tool is Autotools which generates a Bash script. Obtaining a software package as source code and compiling it locally is a common scenario on Unix and Unix-like environments. Typically, this process involves the following steps: # Generate build configuration files # Build the code # Install the result to an accessible location A configure script accomplishes the first step by generating a makefile that is configured for the host system. This includes using the libraries of the host as required by the codebase.

When installing a package on a Unix or Unix-like environment, a configure script is a shell script that generates build configuration files for a codebase to facilitate cross-platform support. It generates files tailoring for the host system the environment on which the codebase is built and run. Even though there are no standards for such a script, the pattern is so ubiquitous that many developers are familiar with and even expect a script named configure that has this functionality. The script can be and originally was hand-coded. Today, multiple tools are available for generating a configure script based on special configuration files. One commonly used tool is Autotools which generates a Bash script. Obtaining a software package as source code and compiling it locally is a common scenario on Unix and Unix-like environments. Typically, this process involves the following steps: Generate build configuration files Build the code Install the result to an accessible location A configure script accomplishes the first step by generating a makefile that is configured for the host system. This includes using the libraries of the host as required by the codebase. ./configure make make install For the Autotools, the configure script logs status and errors to file config.log, and the command ./configure --help outputs command line help information. Often, a document with instructions is included with the codebase (usually in a file named INSTALL ). It can be helpful if the configure script fails. ==External links== , provides the autogen.sh automatic build preparation posix shell script.

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