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      1 This file contains generic instructions on how to build and
      2 install software using autoconf. For specific instructions
      3 on how to build "less", see the README or README.VER file.
      4 
      5 
      6 Basic Installation
      7 ==================
      8 
      9    These are generic installation instructions.
     10 
     11    The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for
     12 various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
     13 those values to create a `Makefile' in each directory of the package.
     14 It may also create one or more `.h' files containing system-dependent
     15 definitions.  Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that
     16 you can run in the future to recreate the current configuration, a file
     17 `config.cache' that saves the results of its tests to speed up
     18 reconfiguring, and a file `config.log' containing compiler output
     19 (useful mainly for debugging `configure').
     20 
     21    If you need to do unusual things to compile the package, please try
     22 to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail
     23 diffs or instructions to the address given in the `README' so they can
     24 be considered for the next release.  If at some point `config.cache'
     25 contains results you don't want to keep, you may remove or edit it.
     26 
     27    The file `configure.ac' is used to create `configure' by a program
     28 called `autoconf'.  You only need `configure.ac' if you want to change
     29 it or regenerate `configure' using a newer version of `autoconf'.
     30 
     31 The simplest way to compile this package is:
     32 
     33   1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type
     34      `./configure' to configure the package for your system.  If you're
     35      using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type
     36      `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
     37      `configure' itself.
     38 
     39      Running `configure' takes awhile.  While running, it prints some
     40      messages telling which features it is checking for.
     41 
     42   2. Type `make' to compile the package.
     43 
     44   3. Optionally, type `make check' to run any self-tests that come with
     45      the package.
     46 
     47   4. Type `make install' to install the programs and any data files and
     48      documentation.
     49 
     50   5. You can remove the program binaries and object files from the
     51      source code directory by typing `make clean'.  To also remove the
     52      files that `configure' created (so you can compile the package for
     53      a different kind of computer), type `make distclean'.  There is
     54      also a `make maintainer-clean' target, but that is intended mainly
     55      for the package's developers.  If you use it, you may have to get
     56      all sorts of other programs in order to regenerate files that came
     57      with the distribution.
     58 
     59 Compilers and Options
     60 =====================
     61 
     62    Some systems require unusual options for compilation or linking that
     63 the `configure' script does not know about.  You can give `configure'
     64 initial values for variables by setting them in the environment.  Using
     65 a Bourne-compatible shell, you can do that on the command line like
     66 this:
     67      CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix ./configure
     68 
     69 Or on systems that have the `env' program, you can do it like this:
     70      env CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/include LDFLAGS=-s ./configure
     71 
     72 Compiling For Multiple Architectures
     73 ====================================
     74 
     75    You can compile the package for more than one kind of computer at the
     76 same time, by placing the object files for each architecture in their
     77 own directory.  To do this, you must use a version of `make' that
     78 supports the `VPATH' variable, such as GNU `make'.  `cd' to the
     79 directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run
     80 the `configure' script.  `configure' automatically checks for the
     81 source code in the directory that `configure' is in and in `..'.
     82 
     83    If you have to use a `make' that does not supports the `VPATH'
     84 variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a time
     85 in the source code directory.  After you have installed the package for
     86 one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring for another
     87 architecture.
     88 
     89 Installation Names
     90 ==================
     91 
     92    By default, `make install' will install the package's files in
     93 `/usr/local/bin', `/usr/local/man', etc.  You can specify an
     94 installation prefix other than `/usr/local' by giving `configure' the
     95 option `--prefix=PATH'.
     96 
     97    You can specify separate installation prefixes for
     98 architecture-specific files and architecture-independent files.  If you
     99 give `configure' the option `--exec-prefix=PATH', the package will use
    100 PATH as the prefix for installing programs and libraries.
    101 Documentation and other data files will still use the regular prefix.
    102 
    103    In addition, if you use an unusual directory layout you can give
    104 options like `--bindir=PATH' to specify different values for particular
    105 kinds of files.  Run `configure --help' for a list of the directories
    106 you can set and what kinds of files go in them.
    107 
    108    If the package supports it, you can cause programs to be installed
    109 with an extra prefix or suffix on their names by giving `configure' the
    110 option `--program-prefix=PREFIX' or `--program-suffix=SUFFIX'.
    111 
    112 Optional Features
    113 =================
    114 
    115    Some packages pay attention to `--enable-FEATURE' options to
    116 `configure', where FEATURE indicates an optional part of the package.
    117 They may also pay attention to `--with-PACKAGE' options, where PACKAGE
    118 is something like `gnu-as' or `x' (for the X Window System).  The
    119 `README' should mention any `--enable-' and `--with-' options that the
    120 package recognizes.
    121 
    122    For packages that use the X Window System, `configure' can usually
    123 find the X include and library files automatically, but if it doesn't,
    124 you can use the `configure' options `--x-includes=DIR' and
    125 `--x-libraries=DIR' to specify their locations.
    126 
    127 Specifying the System Type
    128 ==========================
    129 
    130    There may be some features `configure' can not figure out
    131 automatically, but needs to determine by the type of host the package
    132 will run on.  Usually `configure' can figure that out, but if it prints
    133 a message saying it can not guess the host type, give it the
    134 `--host=TYPE' option.  TYPE can either be a short name for the system
    135 type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name with three fields:
    136      CPU-COMPANY-SYSTEM
    137 
    138 See the file `config.sub' for the possible values of each field.  If
    139 `config.sub' isn't included in this package, then this package doesn't
    140 need to know the host type.
    141 
    142    If you are building compiler tools for cross-compiling, you can also
    143 use the `--target=TYPE' option to select the type of system they will
    144 produce code for and the `--build=TYPE' option to select the type of
    145 system on which you are compiling the package.
    146 
    147 Sharing Defaults
    148 ================
    149 
    150    If you want to set default values for `configure' scripts to share,
    151 you can create a site shell script called `config.site' that gives
    152 default values for variables like `CC', `cache_file', and `prefix'.
    153 `configure' looks for `PREFIX/share/config.site' if it exists, then
    154 `PREFIX/etc/config.site' if it exists.  Or, you can set the
    155 `CONFIG_SITE' environment variable to the location of the site script.
    156 A warning: not all `configure' scripts look for a site script.
    157 
    158 Operation Controls
    159 ==================
    160 
    161    `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it
    162 operates.
    163 
    164 `--cache-file=FILE'
    165      Use and save the results of the tests in FILE instead of
    166      `./config.cache'.  Set FILE to `/dev/null' to disable caching, for
    167      debugging `configure'.
    168 
    169 `--help'
    170      Print a summary of the options to `configure', and exit.
    171 
    172 `--quiet'
    173 `--silent'
    174 `-q'
    175      Do not print messages saying which checks are being made.
    176 
    177 `--srcdir=DIR'
    178      Look for the package's source code in directory DIR.  Usually
    179      `configure' can determine that directory automatically.
    180 
    181 `--version'
    182      Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
    183      script, and exit.
    184 
    185 `configure' also accepts some other, not widely useful, options.
    186 
    187