DOC HOME SITE MAP MAN PAGES GNU INFO SEARCH
 

(autocf21.info.gz) External Software

Info Catalog (autocf21.info.gz) Site Configuration (autocf21.info.gz) Site Configuration (autocf21.info.gz) Package Options
 
 9.1 Working With External Software
 ==================================
 
 Some packages require, or can optionally use, other software packages
 which are already installed.  The user can give `configure' command
 line options to specify which such external software to use.  The
 options have one of these forms:
 
      --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]
      --without-PACKAGE
 
    For example, `--with-gnu-ld' means work with the GNU linker instead
 of some other linker.  `--with-x' means work with The X Window System.
 
    The user can give an argument by following the package name with `='
 and the argument.  Giving an argument of `no' is for packages that are
 used by default; it says to _not_ use the package.  An argument that is
 neither `yes' nor `no' could include a name or number of a version of
 the other package, to specify more precisely which other package this
 program is supposed to work with.  If no argument is given, it defaults
 to `yes'.  `--without-PACKAGE' is equivalent to `--with-PACKAGE=no'.
 
    `configure' scripts do not complain about `--with-PACKAGE' options
 that they do not support.  This behavior permits configuring a source
 tree containing multiple packages with a top-level `configure' script
 when the packages support different options, without spurious error
 messages about options that some of the packages support.  An
 unfortunate side effect is that option spelling errors are not
 diagnosed.  No better approach to this problem has been suggested so
 far.
 
    For each external software package that may be used, `configure.in'
 should call `AC_ARG_WITH' to detect whether the `configure' user asked
 to use it.  Whether each package is used or not by default, and which
 arguments are valid, is up to you.
 
  -- Macro: AC_ARG_WITH (PACKAGE, HELP-STRING [, ACTION-IF-GIVEN [,
           ACTION-IF-NOT-GIVEN]])
      If the user gave `configure' the option `--with-PACKAGE' or
      `--without-PACKAGE', run shell commands ACTION-IF-GIVEN.  If
      neither option was given, run shell commands ACTION-IF-NOT-GIVEN.
      The name PACKAGE indicates another software package that this
      program should work with.  It should consist only of alphanumeric
      characters and dashes.
 
      The option's argument is available to the shell commands
      ACTION-IF-GIVEN in the shell variable `withval', which is actually
      just the value of the shell variable `with_PACKAGE', with any `-'
      characters changed into `_'.  You may use that variable instead,
      if you wish.
 
      The argument HELP-STRING is a description of the option which
      looks like this:
             --with-readline         support fancy command line editing
      HELP-STRING may be more than one line long, if more detail is
      needed.  Just make sure the columns line up in `configure --help'.
      Avoid tabs in the help string.  You'll need to enclose it in `['
      and `]' in order to produce the leading spaces.
 
  -- Macro: AC_WITH (PACKAGE, ACTION-IF-GIVEN [, ACTION-IF-NOT-GIVEN])
      This is an obsolete version of `AC_ARG_WITH' that does not support
      providing a help string.
 
Info Catalog (autocf21.info.gz) Site Configuration (autocf21.info.gz) Site Configuration (autocf21.info.gz) Package Options
automatically generated byinfo2html