Makefile generation from Autotools

Waqqas Jabbar
 Prerequisites
• C, C++
• gcc and its options
• make and Makefile
• configure and its options
• pkg-config
 Objectives
• Use autotools to generate Makefiles, for
o Dynamic and Static libraries
o Executable
• Use libtool to generate libraries
 Autotools
• Collection of utilities
o automake
o autoconf
o libtoolize
o aclocal
o autoheader
o autoscan
o autoupdate
o autoreconf
• Can be used separately or together
 Inputs to autotools
• configure.ac
• Makefile.ac
• config.h.in
• Source code
 Outputs of autotools
• config.h
o Added in project
o Conditional compilation
 #ifdef, #elif, #endif
• Makefile(s)
o Input to make
Makefile.am Source code autoscan

configure.scan

autoheader configure.ac

automake config.h.in autoconf

Makefile.in configure configure

config.h Makefile

?
Makefile.am Source code autoscan

configure.scan

autoheader configure.ac

automake config.h.in autoconf

Makefile.in configure configure

config.h Makefile
 autoscan
• Input: Source code
• Output: configure.scan
o Template for configure.ac
 autoheader
• Input: configure.ac, Source code
• Output: config.h.in
o What defines are to be generated in config.h
 #undef VAR -> #define VAR 1 ( by configure)
 automake
• Input: Makefile.am
• Output: Makefile.in
• Convert automake variables to their values
 autoconf
• Input: configure.ac
• Output: configure
o Shell script
 configure
• Input: config.h.in, Makefile.in
• Output: config.h, Makefile(s)
 Makefile.in
• Syntax of Makefile
 Makefile.am
• Executables
o Installation binaries
 bin_PROGRAMS = foo1
o Non-Installation binaries
 noinst_PROGRAMS = foo2
o foo1_SOURCES = foo1.c foo1.h
o INCLUDES=-I $HOME/usr/include
o LDADD=-lpthread
o AM_CFLAGS=-DMY_DEFINE
o foo1extradir=$(datadir)/foo1
o foo1extra_DATA= foo1.conf
 Makefile.am
• Libraries
o Installation Libraries
 lib_LTLIBRARIES=libtest.la
 library_includedir= The directory where header files
will be installed
 library_include_HEADERS= Header files exposed by
the library
o Non-installation libraries
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES=
o libtest_la_SOURCES =
o libtest_la_LDFLAGS =
o INCLUDES = -I.
o libtest_la_LIBADD= (other libraries to add)
 Makefile.am
• Predefined variables
o $(top_srcdir) : Main directory of source-code
o $(includedir) : Path specified in configure for
installing header files
• SUBDIRS =
 configure.ac
• Set of M4 Macros
• Initialization
o AC_PREREQ
o AC_INIT
o AC_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
o AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
• Checks for programs
o AC_PROG_CC
o AC_PROG_CXX
o AC_PROG_INSTALL
o AM_PROG_LIBTOOL
o AM_SANITY_CHECK
 configure.ac
• Checks for libraries
o pkg-config
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(SNDFILE_DEPS, sndfile
>= 1.0.17)
 AC_SUBST(SNDFILE_DEPS_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(SNDFILE_DEPS_LIBS)
o AC_SUBST passes variable from configure.ac to
Makefile.am
 configure.ac
• No script
o AC_CHECK_LIB
o AC_ARG_WITH(mysql, [ --with-mysql=<path> prefix of
MySQL installation. e.g. /usr/local or /usr],
[MYSQL_PREFIX=$with_mysql],
AC_MSG_ERROR([You must call configure with the
--with-mysql option. This tells configure where to find the
MySql C library and headers. e.g. --with-mysql=/usr/local
or --with-mysql=/usr]))
o AC_SUBST(MYSQL_PREFIX)
o MYSQL_LIBS="-L${MYSQL_PREFIX}/lib/mysql
-lmysqlclient"
o MYSQL_CFLAGS="-I${MYSQL_PREFIX}/include"
o AC_SUBST(MYSQL_LIBS)
o AC_SUBST(MYSQL_CFLAGS)
 configure.ac
• Checks for header files
o AC_HEADER_STDC
o AC_CHECK_HEADERS([string.h])
• Checks for typedefs, structures, and
compiler characteristics
• Checks for library functions
o AC_CHECK_FUNCS([bzero])
• Give Makefile to generate
o AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
o AC_OUTPUT
 configure.ac
• Adding option in configure script
o AC_ARG_ENABLE(option-foo,[ --enable-option-
foo help for option foo], [CFLAGS= "$CFLAGS
-DOPTION_FOO_DEFINE"], [])
• Disable shared libraries
o AC_DISABLE_SHARED
 References
• http://www.elitecoders.de/mags/cscene/CS2/
CS2-10.html
• http://www.openismus.com/documents/linux/
automake/automake.shtml
• http://www.openismus.com/documents/linux/
using_libraries/using_libraries.shtml
• http://www.openismus.com/documents/linux/
building_libraries/building_libraries.shtml
• http://bec-
systems.com/web/content/view/95/9/
• http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/autoboo
 Summary
• You can generate distributions in tar.gz or
rpm
Thank You