installing automake
 

so i ./configure automake and I get this error

configure: error: Autoconf 2.58 or better is required.
Please make sure it is installed and in your PATH.

I installed Autoconf 2.59 but I don't know what the second part of the error means can someone tell me what to do? Suse 9.0

Thanks

MM

Type autoconf --version.

It should come up with the version of autoconf your using. It may come up with an old version for compatability reasons. So to use the new version type

export WANT_AUTOCONF_2_5="1"

Before you do the ./configure

OK I did exactly what you said but I get the same error:

linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # ./configure
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for gawk... gawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking for perl... /usr/bin/perl
checking for tex... no
checking whether autoconf is installed... no
configure: error: Autoconf 2.58 or better is required.
Please make sure it is installed and in your PATH.
linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 #

when I checked the autoconfig version it confirmed that I have the new one.

what does it mean:

"and in your PATH."

Thanks
MM

in your path, means you execution path ( you can see it by typing echo $PATH ). So autoconf returns the right version, got me stumped. All I can think of is automake might be causing this try, it with automake 1.6.

Is there some way to manually add it to the PATH?

MM

Well you add the directory its in.

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin

This would add "/usr/bin" to the path. But since autoconf returned a version number without you having to set its path I doubt that this is your problem.

OK I have an observation. As a normal user:

mayhem@linux:~> autoconf --version
autoconf (GNU Autoconf) 2.59
Written by David J. MacKenzie and Akim Demaille.

Copyright (C) 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

so I:

mayhem@linux:~/automake-1.8.3> ./configure
./configure: line 1124: config.log: Permission denied

Doesn't work so I log in as SU and try again:

linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # ./configure
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for gawk... gawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking for perl... /usr/bin/perl
checking for tex... no
checking whether autoconf is installed... no
configure: error: Autoconf 2.58 or better is required.
Please make sure it is installed and in your PATH.

While still SU I check for the Autoconf version:

linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # autoconf --version
bash: autoconf: command not found

It only knows where autoconf is if I am a normal user and not SU. Do you know why? And how can I fix it?

MM

This is a path problem, or it s in a wrong directory then. type whereis autoconf.

This shoud return something with /usr/bin/autoconf. Then as root type export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin Now try again. If this works you can add it permanatley to roots path by adding the export command too .bashrc file in roots home directory.

Thanks for your help I appreciate it. We are getting a little farther here.

SO I:

mayhem@linux:~/automake-1.8.3> whereis autoconf
autoconf: /usr/local/bin/autoconf
linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin
linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # ./configure
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for gawk... gawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking for perl... /usr/bin/perl
checking for tex... no
checking whether autoconf is installed... yes
checking whether autoconf works... yes
checking whether autoconf is recent enough... yes
checking whether ln works... yes
checking for grep that handles long lines...
checking for egrep... /usr/bin/grep -E
checking for fgrep... /usr/bin/grep -F
configure: creating ./config.status
config.status: creating Makefile
config.status: creating doc/Makefile
config.status: creating lib/Automake/Makefile
config.status: creating lib/Automake/tests/Makefile
config.status: creating lib/Makefile
config.status: creating lib/am/Makefile
config.status: creating m4/Makefile
config.status: creating tests/Makefile
config.status: creating tests/defs
config.status: creating tests/aclocal-1.8
config.status: creating tests/automake-1.8

Right on appears to work so now:

linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # make
cd . && perllibdir=/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3/lib:./lib /home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3/aclocal --acdir=m4
/bin/sh: line 1: /home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3/aclocal: No such file or directory
make: *** [aclocal.m4] Error 127

so it doesn't work but there are 2 files called aclocal. What the heck?

Its no wonder people give up on this stuff. The directions make it look like this is supposed to be simple but nothing ever works. What should I do?

MM

Okay, try just aclocal as a command on its own. ( aclocal.in and aclocal.m4 are input files ).

linux:/home/mayhem/automake-1.8.3 # aclocal
bash: aclocal: command not found

I understand your caption about banging heads against walls. I know you are giving me good help though. Thank-you.

MM

No problem, try whereis aclocal, the bash path bit again...

Also make sure you've got aclocal installed.

Wouldn't this be easier?

It was definitely easier but will it work as well? I thought the whole point of compiling a program yourself was so that it was configured properly for your system.

MM

Unless theres something unusual you want to set, Compiling it yourself is mostly a waste of time. The kernel and drivers, are the most obvious choice for compiling yourself, and make the most diffrence.

Everthing else, has very little impact. Speed critical applications (Games etc.), or long process apps( gcc for compiling ) will sometimes get you an edge, but where talking a few percent at best. If at all.

Sometimes compiling yourself, might even reduce performance of the app as the people that prepare packages are usually aware of the best options to set, and have compiled them multiple times and tested the results, for speed and compatability. Usually even going into makefiles to adjust settings. Also since there made for the whole system, the results are tested against other compiled packages.

For instance, the optimization settings can be deciving, The compile time optimization o3 has a habit of reducing performance over o2, even though its meant to be a higher level of optimization.

the basic gnu tool chain including make, automake, aclocal, etc... are critical to any compile system, but actually only run for small amounts of time, a speed increase of even 10% ( which is about all you could get from best to worse settings ) will have almost no impact on compiling a program, as the actual critical part is gcc, compiling and linking the program.

The point is you can do it, but is it actually worth all the effort, when something that will probably work better than you can make it, is available?