AUTOCONF(1)						      General Commands Manual						       AUTOCONF(1)

NAME

       wrapper - Wrapper for distinguishing Autoconf 2.13 and 2.50

SYNOPSIS

       autoconf [ options ]
       autoheader [ options ]
       autoreconf [ options ]

DESCRIPTION

       Autoconf  is an automatic configure script builder with two major version series: 2.13 and earlier, 2.50 and later.  Versions within either
       series are largely compatible, but the two series are largely incompatible.  When both versions are installed, as they are on  your  system
       (given that you're reading this manpage), Debian selects between the two versions simultaneously.  This manpage documents how the automatic
       selection works.  If you are actually looking for the documentation for either version of Autoconf, then refer  to  the	SEE  ALSO  section
       below.

       Automatic  version  selection  works  via  a  wrapper script installed under the names autoconf, autoheader, and autoreconf.  Each of these
       attempts to detect which Autoconf is needed and run the correct version of the tool.

       There are no wrappers for autoupdate, autoscan, or ifnames.  These are not used during a package build.	Choose the proper version by hand.

       The following heuristics are used to choose an Autoconf version:

       *      If file configure.ac exists, Autoconf 2.50 is used.  Autoconf 2.13 used the name configure.in instead,  but  version  2.50  supports
	      both.

	      (Usually	autoconf  is run without nonoption arguments.  If a filename is supplied on the command line, then version 2.50 is used if
	      the filename ends in .ac.)

       *      Otherwise, configure.in (or the file specified on the command line, if any) is read.  It is checked for the presence of an AC_PREREQ
	      directive.  If it specifies a minimum version higher than 2.13, Autoconf 2.50 is used.  aclocal.m4, if present, is also scanned.

       *      Otherwise, Autoconf 2.13 is used.

       To  force  Autoconf 2.13 to be used, name the Autoconf input file configure.in and omit the use of AC_PREREQ() or specify a minimum version
       of 2.13 or earlier.  To force Autoconf 2.50 to be used, name the input file configure.ac or use AC_PREREQ(2.50).

       I recommend not calling the programs autoconf2.13 or autoconf2.50, etc., directly, instead of through the wrappers.  When  used	with  pro-
       grams like Automake, these direct calls won't propagate through into the Makefile, so later re-autoconf'ings won't use the correct version.
       It's better to use one of the methods explained above to force a particular version.

SEE ALSO

       autoconf2.13(1), autoheader2.13(1), autoreconf2.13(1), autoconf2.50(1), autoheader2.50(1),  autoreconf2.50(1),  and  the  Autoconf  manuals
       autoconf and autoconf2.13.

AUTHORS

       David  MacKenzie,  with	help  from Franc,ois Pinard, Karl Berry, Richard Pixley, Ian Lance Taylor, Roland McGrath, Noah Friedman, David D.
       Zuhn, and many others.  This manpage written by Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux autoconf2.13 package.

								 Autoconf Wrapper						       AUTOCONF(1)