Using autoconf / automake in spec files

This document seeks to document the usage of autoconf, automake, and libtoolize during a package build in Fedora, i.e. the usage of older packages like autoconf213 and automake1{4,5,6,7}

Problem

Autoconf, Automake, and Libtool (collectively, the “autotools”) can by used for many Fedora packages to create configure scripts and Makefiles. The resulting configure scripts and Makefiles might be different on systems with a different set of installed packages and thus might lead to unpredictable results.

Some packages use old autotools versions in order to build their configure scripts and Makefiles. Some of these older helper tools aren't multilib capable and patches need to be applied to be able to build the package on multilib systems. Upstream doesn't maintain these tools anymore and so the tools won't get any bugfixes.

Solution

autoconf, automake, libtoolize and the accompanying autoreconf shouldn't be used in the %prep or %build sections of a package's spec file. Applying a patch to update the configure scripts and Makefile.in's is preferred as the results are predictable and packages are more reproducible.

Package maintainers should work with upstream to port the scripts to recent autotools. Sometimes this won't work due to time constraints or due to compatibility concerns for multi-platform packages such as p.e. Firefox, but at least an attempt should be made.

Search

PackagingDrafts/AutoConf

Contents

Using autoconf / automake in spec files

Problem

Solution

Further reading