automake

automake [--add-missing] [--copy] [options] [Makefile...]

automake generates Makefile.in templates from Makefile.am files. It works with autoconf to create the complete GNU Build System, handling compilation, installation, and distribution tasks.Automake provides portable makefiles that work across Unix-like systems.

-a, --add-missing

Add missing standard auxiliary files (install-sh, missing, etc.).

Copy auxiliary files instead of symlinking them.

Replace standard auxiliary files even if they already exist.

Report warnings for the given category (e.g. all, none, error, portability).

Require conformance to GNU coding standards (the default).

Relax checks; allow files that GNU standards require to be absent.

Apply the stricter GNU Gnits standards.

Disable generation of automatic dependency tracking.

1. Write Makefile.am2. Run automake to generate Makefile.in3. Run autoconf to generate configure4. Users run ./configure to generate Makefile

Steep learning curve. Generated Makefiles are complex. Requires understanding of autotools conventions. Many projects now use CMake or Meson instead.

Automake was created by David MacKenzie and Tom Tromey, first released in 1994 to complement autoconf with makefile generation.

autoconf(1), autoreconf(1), make(1)

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