This is my first time trying to set up a build using autoconf and automake, which I have chosen to deal with the fact that I must set up a bunch of Fortran 77 code so that it can be readily ported to various *nix flavors, with a mix of GNU and native Fortran compilers. One of the problems with Fortran 77 is a default 72 character limit on lines in source files, which most Fortran 77 compilers provide support to override this limit with a compiler flag. So what I set out to do at first is [I thought] fairly simple ? check to see if the selected compiler supports a given flag. Not having any experience with M4 or autoconf, I have been stumbling around trying to write my own macro by looking at the macro archives and the fortran.m4 and c.m4 files, and I have reached a point where I do not understand why I am getting a particular error when I run configure (aclocal and autoconf complete without errors). That being said, I have included my brief acinclude.m4, configure.ac, configure output and the code generated for this section in configure. Any guidance on (a) how to fix this particular problem, or (b) a better way to approach this, would be greatly appreciated. My apologies if this is too long for the list - I couldn't tell what was too long from the archives. acinclude.m4: # Use with autoconf 2.57 or higher. # Check for support of a compiler flag AC_DEFUN([AX_F77_COMPILER_FLAG], [AC_REQUIRE([AC_PROG_F77]) AC_LANG_PUSH([Fortran 77]) AS_VAR_PUSHDEF([ax_save_FFLAGS],[FFLAGS]) ax_save_FFLAGS=$FFLAGS FFLAGS="-$1" AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether $F77 accepts -$1], [ac_cv_prog_${F77}_$1], [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM()], [ac_cv_prog_${F77}_$1=yes], [ac_cv_prog_${F77}_$1=no] ) ] ) if test ac_cv_prog_${F77}_$1 = yes ; then AC_MSG_RESULT(yes) else AC_MSG_RESULT(no) fi FFLAGS=$ax_save_FFLAGS AS_VAR_POPDEF([ax_save_FFLAGS]) AC_LANG_POP([Fortran 77]) ]) configure.ac: # Initialize Autoconf AC_PREREQ(2.57) AC_INIT([My Autotools Test],[1.0],[gwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx],[myat_test]) AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/tool1.f]) # Initialize Automake AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE # Perform FORTRAN Compiler Checks AC_LANG([Fortran 77]) AC_PROG_F77 AC_F77_LIBRARY_LDFLAGS AC_F77_WRAPPERS AX_F77_COMPILER_FLAG([e]) # Perform C Compiler Checks AC_LANG([C]) AC_PROG_CC # Set up outputs AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile]) AC_OUTPUT [gwright@haephestus myat_test]$ output: $ aclocal $ autoconf $ ./configure 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 g77... g77 checking for Fortran 77 compiler default output... a.out checking whether the Fortran 77 compiler works... yes checking whether we are cross compiling... no checking for suffix of executables... checking for suffix of object files... o checking whether we are using the GNU Fortran 77 compiler... yes checking whether g77 accepts -g... yes checking how to get verbose linking output from g77... -v checking for Fortran 77 libraries... -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.2 -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/3.3.2/../../.. -lfrtbegin -lg2c -lm -lgcc_s checking for style of include used by make... GNU checking for gcc... gcc checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes checking whether gcc accepts -g... yes checking for gcc option to accept ANSI C... none needed checking dependency style of gcc... none checking for dummy main to link with Fortran 77 libraries... none checking for Fortran 77 name-mangling scheme... lower case, underscore, extra underscore checking whether g77 accepts -e... ./configure: line 3662: ac_cv_prog_g77_e=no: command not found no checking for gcc... (cached) gcc checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... (cached) yes checking whether gcc accepts -g... (cached) yes checking for gcc option to accept ANSI C... (cached) none needed checking dependency style of gcc... (cached) none configure: creating ./config.status config.status: creating Makefile config.status: creating src/Makefile config.status: executing depfiles commands $ FFLAGS=$FFLAGS FFLAGS="-e" echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether $F77 accepts -e" >&5 echo $ECHO_N "checking whether $F77 accepts -e... $ECHO_C" >&6 if eval "test \"\${ac_cv_prog_${F77}_e+set}\" = set"; then echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6 else cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF program main end _ACEOF rm -f conftest.$ac_objext if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compile\"") >&5 (eval $ac_compile) 2>&5 ac_status=$? echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5 (exit $ac_status); } && { ac_try='test -s conftest.$ac_objext' { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5 echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5 (exit $ac_status); }; }; then ac_cv_prog_${F77}_e=yes else echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5 sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5 ac_cv_prog_${F77}_e=no fi -- J. Gregory Wright <gwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Integrity Applications Incorporated <http://www.integrity-apps.com> 703-378-8672 x260