Autotools: A Practitioner's Guide To GNU Autoconf, Automake, And Libtool

Autotools: A Practitioner's Guide To GNU Autoconf, Automake, And Libtool

<p>The GNU Autotools make it easy for developers to create software that is portable across many UNIX-like operating systems. Thousands of open source software packages use the Autotools, but the learning curve is unfortunately steep, and it can be difficult for a beginner to find anything more than basic reference material on using the powerful software suite.</p> <p>In <em>Autotools</em>, author John Calcote begins with an overview of high-level concepts; then tackles more advanced topics, like using the M4 macro processor with Autoconf, extending the Automake framework, and building Java and C# sources.</p> <p>You'll learn how to:</p> <ul> <li>Master the Autotools build system to maximize your software's portability</li> <li>Generate Autoconf configuration scripts to simplify the compilation process</li> <li>Produce portable makefiles with Automake</li> <li>Build cross-platform software libraries with Libtool</li> <li>Write your own Autoconf macros</li> </ul> <p><em>Autotools</em> also includes a variety of complete projects that you're encouraged to work through to gain a real-world sense of how to become an Autotools practitioner. For example, you'll turn the FLAIM and Jupiter projects' hand-coded, makefile-based build systems into a powerful Autotools-based build system.</p>