1 This file describes how to build and install less using 2the "configure" script. This only works on Unix systems. 3To install on other systems, read the README file. 4 5 6Basic Installation 7================== 8 9 These are generic installation instructions. 10 11 The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for 12various system-dependent variables used during compilation. It uses 13those values to create a `Makefile' in each directory of the package. 14It may also create one or more `.h' files containing system-dependent 15definitions. Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that 16you 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 18reconfiguring, 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 22to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail 23diffs or instructions to the address given in the `README' so they can 24be considered for the next release. If at some point `config.cache' 25contains results you don't want to keep, you may remove or edit it. 26 27 The file `configure.in' is used to create `configure' by a program 28called `autoconf'. You only need `configure.in' if you want to change 29it or regenerate `configure' using a newer version of `autoconf'. 30 31The 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 59Compilers and Options 60===================== 61 62 Some systems require unusual options for compilation or linking that 63the `configure' script does not know about. You can give `configure' 64initial values for variables by setting them in the environment. Using 65a Bourne-compatible shell, you can do that on the command line like 66this: 67 CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix ./configure 68 69Or on systems that have the `env' program, you can do it like this: 70 env CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/include LDFLAGS=-s ./configure 71 72Compiling For Multiple Architectures 73==================================== 74 75 You can compile the package for more than one kind of computer at the 76same time, by placing the object files for each architecture in their 77own directory. To do this, you must use a version of `make' that 78supports the `VPATH' variable, such as GNU `make'. `cd' to the 79directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run 80the `configure' script. `configure' automatically checks for the 81source 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' 84variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a time 85in the source code directory. After you have installed the package for 86one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring for another 87architecture. 88 89Installation 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 94installation prefix other than `/usr/local' by giving `configure' the 95option `--prefix=PATH'. 96 97 You can specify separate installation prefixes for 98architecture-specific files and architecture-independent files. If you 99give `configure' the option `--exec-prefix=PATH', the package will use 100PATH as the prefix for installing programs and libraries. 101Documentation and other data files will still use the regular prefix. 102 103 In addition, if you use an unusual directory layout you can give 104options like `--bindir=PATH' to specify different values for particular 105kinds of files. Run `configure --help' for a list of the directories 106you can set and what kinds of files go in them. 107 108 If the package supports it, you can cause programs to be installed 109with an extra prefix or suffix on their names by giving `configure' the 110option `--program-prefix=PREFIX' or `--program-suffix=SUFFIX'. 111 112Optional Features 113================= 114 115 Some packages pay attention to `--enable-FEATURE' options to 116`configure', where FEATURE indicates an optional part of the package. 117They may also pay attention to `--with-PACKAGE' options, where PACKAGE 118is something like `gnu-as' or `x' (for the X Window System). The 119`README' should mention any `--enable-' and `--with-' options that the 120package recognizes. 121 122 For packages that use the X Window System, `configure' can usually 123find the X include and library files automatically, but if it doesn't, 124you can use the `configure' options `--x-includes=DIR' and 125`--x-libraries=DIR' to specify their locations. 126 127Specifying the System Type 128========================== 129 130 There may be some features `configure' can not figure out 131automatically, but needs to determine by the type of host the package 132will run on. Usually `configure' can figure that out, but if it prints 133a 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 135type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name with three fields: 136 CPU-COMPANY-SYSTEM 137 138See 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 140need to know the host type. 141 142 If you are building compiler tools for cross-compiling, you can also 143use the `--target=TYPE' option to select the type of system they will 144produce code for and the `--build=TYPE' option to select the type of 145system on which you are compiling the package. 146 147Sharing Defaults 148================ 149 150 If you want to set default values for `configure' scripts to share, 151you can create a site shell script called `config.site' that gives 152default 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. 156A warning: not all `configure' scripts look for a site script. 157 158Operation Controls 159================== 160 161 `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it 162operates. 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