File: autoconf.info,  Node: autoreconf Invocation,  Prev: autoconf Invocation,  Up: Making configure Scripts

Using `autoreconf' to Update `configure' Scripts
================================================

Installing the various components of the GNU Build System can be
tedious: running `autopoint' for Gettext, `automake' for `Makefile.in'
etc. in each directory.  It may be needed either because some tools
such as `automake' have been updated on your system, or because some of
the sources such as `configure.ac' have been updated, or finally,
simply in order to install the GNU Build System in a fresh tree.

   `autoreconf' runs `autoconf', `autoheader', `aclocal', `automake',
`libtoolize', and `autopoint' (when appropriate) repeatedly to update
the GNU Build System in the specified directories and their
subdirectories (*note Subdirectories::).  By default, it only remakes
those files that are older than their sources.

   If you install a new version of some tool, you can make `autoreconf'
remake _all_ of the files by giving it the `--force' option.

   *Note Automatic Remaking::, for `Makefile' rules to automatically
remake `configure' scripts when their source files change.  That method
handles the timestamps of configuration header templates properly, but
does not pass `--autoconf-dir=DIR' or `--localdir=DIR'.

`autoreconf' accepts the following options:

`--help'
`-h'
     Print a summary of the command line options and exit.

`--version'
`-V'
     Print the version number of Autoconf and exit.

`--verbose'
     Print the name of each directory where `autoreconf' runs
     `autoconf' (and `autoheader', if appropriate).

`--debug'
`-d'
     Don't remove the temporary files.

`--force'
`-f'
     Remake even `configure' scripts and configuration headers that are
     newer than their input files (`configure.ac' and, if present,
     `aclocal.m4').

`--install'
`-i'
     Install the missing auxiliary files in the package.  By default,
     files are copied; this can be changed with `--symlink'.

     This option triggers calls to `automake --add-missing',
     `libtoolize', `autopoint', etc.

`--symlink'
`-s'
     When used with `--install', install symbolic links to the missing
     auxiliary files instead of copying them.

`--make'
`-m'
     When the directories were configured, update the configuration by
     running `./config.status --recheck && ./config.status', and then
     run `make'.

`--include=DIR'
`-I DIR'
     Append DIR to the include path.  Multiple invocations accumulate.

`--prepend-include=DIR'

`-B DIR'
     Prepend DIR to the include path.  Multiple invocations accumulate.

`--warnings=CATEGORY'
`-W CATEGORY'
     Report the warnings related to CATEGORY (which can actually be a
     comma separated list).

    `cross'
          related to cross compilation issues.

    `obsolete'
          report the uses of obsolete constructs.

    `portability'
          portability issues

    `syntax'
          dubious syntactic constructs.

    `all'
          report all the warnings

    `none'
          report none

    `error'
          treats warnings as errors

    `no-CATEGORY'
          disable warnings falling into CATEGORY

     Warnings about `syntax' are enabled by default, and the environment
     variable `WARNINGS', a comma separated list of categories, is
     honored.  Passing `-W CATEGORY' will actually behave as if you had
     passed `--warnings=syntax,$WARNINGS,CATEGORY'.  If you want to
     disable the defaults and `WARNINGS', but (for example) enable the
     warnings about obsolete constructs, you would use `-W
     none,obsolete'.