2 * The NEWS file is more verbose.
4 * Autoconf 2.55 or greater is required.
6 * Defining programs conditionally using Automake conditionals
7 no longer leads to a combinatorial explosion. The following
8 construct used to be troublesome when used with dozens
23 Likewise for _LDADD and _LIBADD variables.
25 * Automake now supports bin_PROGRAMS (or any *_PROGRAMS variable)
26 being defined in several conditions. As in
35 Likewise for _LDADD and _LIBADD variables.
37 * install-sh now understands --version and --help.
39 * Cleanup the definitions of $(distdir) and $(top_distdir).
40 $(top_distdir) now points to the root of the distribution directory
41 created during `make dist', as it did in Automake 1.4, not to the
42 root of the build tree as it did in intervening versions.
43 Furthermore these two variables are now only defined in the top
44 level Makefile, and passed to sub-directories when running `make dist'.
46 * elisp sources are compiled all at once, instead of one by one.
47 This allows interdependencies and speeds up compilation.
49 * lisp_DATA is now allowed. If you are using the empty ELCFILES idiom
50 to disable byte-compilation of lisp_LISP files, it is recommanded that
51 you switch to using lisp_DATA. ELCFILES is no longer documented.
53 * AM_PROG_CC_STDC is now empty. The content of this macro was
54 merged in AC_PROG_CC. If your code uses $am_cv_prog_cc_stdc,
55 you should adjust it to use $ac_cv_prog_cc_stdc instead.
56 (This renaming should be safe, even if you have to support several,
57 versions of Automake, because AC_PROG_CC defines this variable since
60 * AR's `cru' flags are now set in a global ARFLAGS variable instead
61 of being hard-coded in each $(AR) invocation, so they can be
62 substituted from configure.ac. This has been requested by people
63 dealing with non-POSIX ar implementations.
65 * New warning option: -Woverride. This will warn about any user
66 target or variable definitions which override Automake definitions.
68 * Texinfo rules back up and restore info files when makeinfo fails.
70 * Texinfo rules now support the `html' target.
71 Running this requires Texinfo 4.0 or greater.
73 `html' is a new recursive target, so if your package mixes
74 hand-crafted `Makefile.in's with Automake-generated `Makefile.in's,
75 you should adjust the former to support (or ignore) this target so
76 that `make html' recurses successfully. If you had a custom `html'
77 rule in your `Makefile.am', it's better to rename it as `html-local',
78 otherwise your rule will override Automake's new rule (you can check
79 that by running `automake -Woverride') and that will stop the recursion
82 Last but not least, this `html' rule is declared PHONY, even when
83 overridden. Fortunately, it appears that few packages use a
84 non-PHONY `html' rule.
86 * Any file which is m4_included from configure.ac will appear as
87 a configure and Makefile.in dependency, and will be automatically
90 * The rules for rebuilding Makefiles and Makefile.ins will now rebuild
91 all Makefiles and all Makefile.ins at once when one of configure's
92 dependencies has changed. This is considerably faster than
93 previous implementations, where config.status and automake were run
94 separately in each directory (this still happens when you change
95 a Makefile.am locally, without touching configure.ac or friends).
96 Doing this also solves a longstanding issue: these rebuild rules
97 failed to work when adding new directories to the tree, forcing
98 you to run automake manually.
100 * For similar reasons, the rules to rebuild configure, config.status, and
101 aclocal.m4 are now defined in all directories. Note that if you
102 were using the CONFIG_STATUS_DEPENDENCIES and CONFIGURE_DEPENDENCIES
103 (undocumented) variables, you should better define them in all directories.
104 This is easily done using an AC_SUBST.
106 * aclocal will now use `m4_include' instead of copying local m4 files
107 into aclocal.m4. (Local m4 files are those you ship with your
108 project, other files will be copied as usual.)
110 Because m4_included files are automatically distributed, it means
111 for most projects there is no point in EXTRA_DISTing the list
112 of m4 files which used. (You can probably get rid of m4/Makefile.am
115 Some users where using the undocumented ACLOCAL_M4_SOURCES variable
116 to override the aclocal.m4 dependencies computed (inaccurately) by
117 older versions of Automake; this variable should be considered obsolete
118 and will be flagged as such when running `automake -Wobsolete'.
120 * aclocal will avoid touching aclocal.m4 when possible, so that
121 Autom4te's cache isn't needlessly invalidated. This behavior can
122 be switched off with the new `--force' option.
126 * Autoconf 2.54 is required.
127 * `aclocal' and `automake' will no longer warn about obsolete
128 configure macros. This is done by `autoconf -Wobsolete'.
129 * AM_CONFIG_HEADER, AM_SYS_POSIX_TERMIOS and
130 AM_HEADER_TIOCGWINSZ_NEEDS_SYS_IOCTL are obsolete (although still
131 supported). You should use AC_CONFIG_HEADERS, AC_SYS_POSIX_TERMIOS,
132 and AC_HEADER_TIOCGWINSZ instead. `autoupdate' can upgrade
133 `configure.ac' for you.
134 * Support for per-program and per-library `_CPPFLAGS'.
135 * New `ctags' target (builds CTAGS files).
136 * Support for -Wmumble and -Wno-mumble, where mumble is a warning category
137 (see `automake --help' or the manual for a list of them).
138 * Honor the WARNINGS environment variable.
139 * Omit the call to depcomp when using gcc3: call the compiler directly.
140 * A new option, std-options, tests that programs support --help and --version
141 when `make installcheck' is run. This is enabled by --gnits.
142 * Texinfo rules now support the `ps' and `pdf' targets.
143 * Info files are now created in the build directory, not the source directory.
144 * info_TEXINFOS supports files in subdirectories (this requires Texinfo 4.1
146 * `make distcheck' will enforce DESTDIR support by attempting
148 * `+=' can be used in conditionals, even if the augmented variable
149 was defined for another condition.
150 * Makefile fragments (inserted with `include') are always distributed.
151 * Use Autoconf's --trace interface to inspect configure.ac and get
152 a more accurate view of it.
153 * Add support for extending aclocal's default macro search path
154 using a `dirlist' file within the aclocal directory.
155 * automake --output-dir is deprecated.
156 * The part of the distcheck target that checks whether uninstall actually
157 removes all installed files has been moved in a separate target,
158 distuninstallcheck, so it can be overridden easily.
162 * Autoconf 2.52 is required.
163 * automake no longer run libtoolize.
164 This is the job of autoreconf (from GNU Autoconf).
165 * `dist' generates all the archive flavors, as did `dist-all'.
166 * `dist-gzip' generates the Gzip tar file only.
167 * Combining Automake Makefile conditionals no longer lead to a combinatorial
168 explosion. Makefile.in's keep a reasonable size.
169 * AM_FUNC_ERROR_AT_LINE, AM_FUNC_STRTOD, AM_FUNC_OBSTACK, AM_PTRDIFF_T
170 are no longer shipped, since Autoconf 2.52 provides them (both as AM_
172 * `#line' of Lex and Yacc files are properly set.
173 * EXTRA_DIST can contain generated directories.
174 * Support for dot-less extensions in suffix rules.
175 * The part of the distcheck target that checks whether distclean actually
176 cleans all built files has been moved in a separate target, distcleancheck,
177 so it can be overridden easily.
178 * `make distcheck' will pass additional options defined in
179 $(DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) to configure.
180 * Fixed CDPATH portability problems, in particular for MacOS X.
181 * Fixed handling of nobase_ targets.
182 * Fixed support of implicit rules leading to .lo objects.
183 * Fixed late inclusion of --add-missing files (e.g. depcomp) in DIST_COMMON
184 * Added uninstall-hook target
185 * `AC_INIT AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(tarname,version)' is an obsolete construct.
186 You can now use `AC_INIT(pkgname,version) AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE' instead.
187 (Note that "pkgname" is not "tarname", see the manual for details.)
188 It is also possible to pass a list of global Automake options as
189 first argument to this new form of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE.
190 * Compiler-based assembler is now called `CCAS'; people expected `AS'
191 to be a real assembler.
192 * AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE will set STRIP itself when it needs it. Adding
193 AC_CHECK_TOOL([STRIP], [strip]) manually is no longer required.
194 * aclocal and automake are also installed with the version number
195 appended, and some of the install directory names have changed.
196 This lets you have multiple versions installed simultaneously.
197 * Support for parsers and lexers in subdirectories.
200 * Support for `configure.ac'.
201 * Support for `else COND', `endif COND' and negated conditions `!COND'.
202 * `make dist-all' is much faster.
203 * Allows '@' AC_SUBSTs in macro names.
204 * Faster AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE (requires update of `missing' script)
205 * User-side dependency tracking. Developers no longer need GNU make
207 * Uses DIST_SUBDIRS in some situations when SUBDIRS is conditional
208 * Most files are correctly handled if they appear in subdirs
209 For instance, a _DATA file can appear in a subdir
210 * GNU tar is no longer required for `make dist'
211 * Added support for `dist_' and `nodist_' prefixes
212 * Added support for `nobase_' prefix
213 * Compiled Java support
214 * Support for per-executable and per-library compilation flags
218 * Added support for the Fortran 77 programming language.
219 * Re-indexed the Automake Texinfo manual.
220 * Added `AM_FOOFLAGS' variable for each compiler invocation;
221 e.g. AM_CFLAGS can be used in Makefile.am to set C compiler flags
222 * Support for latest autoconf, including support for objext
223 * Can now put `.' in SUBDIRS to control build order
224 * `include' command and `+=' support for macro assignment
225 * Dependency tracking no long susceptible to deleted header file problem
226 * Maintainer mode now a conditional. @MAINT@ is now an anachronism.
231 * Better Cygwin32 support
232 * Support for suffix rules with _SOURCES variables
233 * New options `readme-alpha' and `check-news'; Gnits mode sets these
234 * @LEXLIB@ no longer required when lex source seen
235 Lex support in `missing', and new lex macro. Update your missing script.
236 * Built-in support for assembly
237 * aclocal gives error if `AM_' macro not found
238 * Passed YFLAGS, not YACCFLAGS, to yacc
239 * AM_PROG_CC_STDC does not have to come before AC_PROG_CPP
240 * Dependencies computed as a side effect of compilation
241 * Preliminary support for Java
242 * DESTDIR support at "make install" time
243 * Improved ansi2knr support; you must use the latest ansi2knr.c (included)
247 * Better DejaGNU support
248 * Added no-installinfo option
249 * Added Emacs Lisp support
250 * Added --no-force option
251 * Included `aclocal' program
252 * Automake will now generate rules to regenerate aclocal.m4, if appropriate
253 * Now uses `AM_' macro names everywhere
254 * ansi2knr option can have directory prefix (eg `../lib/ansi2knr')
255 ansi2knr now works correctly on K&R sources
256 * Better C++, yacc, lex support
257 * Will compute _DEPENDENCIES variables automatically if not supplied
258 * Will interpolate $(...) and ${...} when examining contents of a variable
259 * .deps files now in build directory, not source directory; dependency
260 handling generally rewritten
261 * DATA, MANS and BUILT_SOURCES no longer included in distribution
262 * can now put config.h into a subdir
263 * Added dist-all target
264 * Support for install-info program (see texinfo 3.9)
265 * Support for "yacc -d"
266 * configure substitutions are automatically discovered and included
267 in generated Makefile.in
268 * Special --cygnus mode
269 * OMIT_DEPENDENCIES can now hold list of dependencies to be omitted
270 when making distribution. Some dependencies are auto-ignored.
271 * Changed how libraries are specified in _LIBRARIES variable
272 * Full libtool support, from Gord Matzigkeit
273 * No longer have to explicitly touch stamp-h when using AC_CONFIG_HEADER;
274 AM_CONFIG_HEADER handles it automatically
275 * Texinfo output files no longer need .info extension
276 * Added `missing' support
278 * Conditionals in Makefile.am, from Ian Taylor
282 * distcheck target runs install and installcheck targets
283 * Added preliminary support for DejaGNU.
288 * More libtool fixes from Gord Matzigkeit; libtool support is still
290 * Added support for jm_MAINTAINER_MODE
292 * New "distcheck" target
296 * mkinstalldirs and mdate-sh now appear in directory specified by
298 * Removed DIST_SUBDIRS, DIST_OTHER
299 * AC_ARG_PROGRAM only required when an actual program exists
300 * dist-hook target now run before distribution packaged up; idea from
301 Dieter Baron. Other hooks exist, too.
302 * Preliminary (unfinished) support for libtool
303 * Added short option names.
304 * Better "dist" support when gluing together multiple packages
308 * Documentation updates (many from François Pinard)
309 * strictness `normal' now renamed to `foreign'
310 * Renamed --install-missing to --add-missing
311 * Now handles AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR
312 * Now handles TESTS macro
313 * DIST_OTHER renamed to EXTRA_DIST
314 * DIST_SUBDIRS is deprecated
315 * @ALLOCA@ and @LIBOBJS@ now work in _LDADD variables
316 * Better error messages in many cases
317 * Program names are canonicalized
318 * Added "check" prefix; from Gord Matzigkeit
322 * configure.in scanner knows about AC_PATH_XTRA, AC_OUTPUT ":" syntax
323 * Beginnings of a test suite
324 * Automatically adds -I options for $(srcdir), ".", and path to config.h
325 * Doesn't print anything when running
326 * Beginnings of MAINT_CHARSET support
327 * Can specify version in AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS
328 * Most errors recognizable by Emacs' M-x next-error
329 * Added --verbose option
330 * All "primary" variables now obsolete; use EXTRA_PRIMARY to supply
331 configure-generated names
332 * Required macros now distributed in aclocal.m4
334 * --strictness=gnu is default
338 * More sophisticated configure.in scanning; now understands ALLOCA and
339 LIBOBJS directly, handles AC_CONFIG_HEADER more precisely, etc.
340 * TEXINFOS and MANS now obsolete; use info_TEXINFOS and man_MANS instead.
341 * CONFIG_HEADER variable now obsolete
342 * Can handle multiple Texinfo sources
343 * Allow hierarchies deeper than 2. From Gord Matzigkeit.
344 * HEADERS variable no longer needed; now can put .h files directly into
345 foo_SOURCES variable.
346 * Automake automatically rebuilds files listed in AC_OUTPUT. The
347 corresponding ".in" files are included in the distribution.
350 * Added --gnu and --gnits options
351 * More standards checking
353 * Cleaned up 'dist' targets
354 * Added AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS variable and several options
355 * Now scans configure.in to get some information (preliminary)
358 * Works with Perl 4 again
361 * Added --install-missing option.
362 * Pretty-prints generated macros and rules
363 * Comments in Makefile.am are placed more intelligently in Makefile.in
364 * Generates .PHONY target
365 * Rule or macro in Makefile.am now overrides contents of Automake file
366 * Substantial cleanups from François Pinard
370 * Works with Perl 4 again.
373 * New uniform naming scheme.
374 * --strictness option
376 * '.c' files corresponding to '.y' or '.l' files are automatically
378 * Many bug fixes and cleanups
381 * Allow objects to be conditionally included in libraries via lib_LIBADD.
384 * Bug fixes in 'clean' code.
385 * Now generates 'installdirs' target.
386 * man page installation reworked.
387 * 'make dist' no longer re-creates all Makefile.in's.
390 * Reimplemented in Perl
391 * Added --amdir option (for debugging)
392 * Texinfo support cleaned up.
393 * Automatic de-ANSI-fication cleaned up.
394 * Cleaned up 'clean' targets.
397 * Automatic dependency tracking
399 * New variables DATA and PACKAGEDATA
400 * SCRIPTS installed using $(INSTALL_SCRIPT)
401 * No longer uses double-colon rules
403 * Changes in advance of internationalization
407 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
408 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
410 This file is part of GNU Automake.
412 GNU Automake is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
413 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
414 the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
417 GNU Automake is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
418 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
419 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
420 GNU General Public License for more details.
422 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
423 along with GNU Automake; see the file COPYING. If not, write to
424 the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
425 Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.