Autoconf help

tpe · 11-29-2010, 02:49 PM

Hallo,
I need you help with auitoconf. I have a project with existing source. I need to convert that program and include support for mysql.
Since I want to do it with the "right" way, I want to add the mysql autoconf macros I found at: ac-archive (http://ac-archive.sourceforge.net/ac...lib_mysql.html)
So, I have a few questions:

1. I want to make the ./configure script to check for the mysql.h and libmysqlclient.so files. Is that macro suitable for this?
2. Is there any other simpler way to do it?
3. The program's directory contains a subdirectory named "m4". Is this the target directory under which I have to add the macro? If not, how do I instruct autoconf to check for that macro?

And a final question: How do I instruct the ./configure && make to add the necessary -lmysqlclient -lz flags?

paulsm4 · 11-29-2010, 07:01 PM

Hi -

Quote:

Q: I want to make the ./configure script to check for the mysql.h and libmysqlclient.so files. Is that macro suitable for this?

A: It certainly looks like it'll do the trick. But the best thing, of course, is to try it yourself

Quote:

Q: Is there any other simpler way to do it?

A: Assuming you want to go the "./configure" autoconf route, it sounds like it's probably an excellent choice

Quote:

Q: [Is] "m4" ...the target directory?
Q: How do I instruct the ./configure && make to add the necessary -lmysqlclient -lz flags?

A: This tutorial (and a little trial and error) should answer most of your questions:
http://www.developingprogrammers.com...ools-tutorial/

SUGGESTION:
I'd strongly encourage you to install a "virgin" copy of Linux on a VM.
EXAMPLE:
1) Download a prebuilt VM from here:
http://www.thoughtpolice.co.uk/vmware/

2) Then download VMWare Player from here:
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/d...are_player/3_0

That way you'll have a "sandbox" to test your configure scripts, as though you were an end-user.

tpe · 12-01-2010, 06:29 AM

Thank you for your answer. The tutorial is really good, but only for an initial work on the project. Still, I have no clue on how to include the mysql macro in the configure.ac or Makefile.am or whatever (Still, I don't know how to call it!)

ntubski · 12-01-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpe

3. The program's directory contains a subdirectory named "m4". Is this the target directory under which I have to add the macro? If not, how do I instruct autoconf to check for that macro?

See Local Macros.

Quote:

And a final question: How do I instruct the ./configure && make to add the necessary -lmysqlclient -lz flags?

See Prgram And Library Variables.

tpe · 12-02-2010, 03:17 AM

Thank you all for your answers.
I have managed to add it (aclocal -I ./m4 without a training / was the key!)
Now, I have a final question. In my PC (on purpose in order to test the ./configure) I have not installed the mysql-dev package, thus, the mysql.h file is missing.
I use the AC_CHECK_HEADERS(mysql.h) - and I tried the AC_CHECK_HEADERS([mysql.h]) too.
./configure reports -correctly- that the mysql.h is not found. BUT, it continues till the end. I want to make ./configure to stop when the mysql.h is not found. How do I do that?

ntubski · 12-02-2010, 10:41 AM

Generally you can do this by passing a failing action to the third argument [action-if-not-found]:

Code:

AC_CHECK_HEADERS([mysql.h],
                 [],
                 [AC_MSG_FAILURE([cannot find mysql.h])])

But in this case AX_LIB_MYSQL already checked the headers for you so:

Code:

AX_LIB_MYSQL
AS_TEST([test "x$MYSQL_VERSION" = x],
        [AC_MSG_FAILURE([mysql library and headers are required to compile this package])])