On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 06:49:59AM -0600, Eric Blake wrote: > On 04/12/2013 05:30 AM, Bob Rossi wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I'm creating a new project and using autotools. I've done this before, > > but for some reason this time I've noticed how many files autotools > > creates. It totally pollutes the top level of my project. > > > > lib <- Mine originally > > aclocal.m4 > > Ask automake if that can be moved. Autoconf does not create it. Wow! Thanks for this information, very helpful! I didn't solve aclocal.m4 yet, but.. > > AUTHORS > > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level; but you can tell > automake that you don't want to comply to GNU Coding Standards if you > want to omit it. Autoconf does not create it. Done --foreign to automake. > > autom4te.cache > > Autoconf creates this, but it is local only; it is not packaged into > your tarballs. If you don't like it, you can use autom4te's --no-cache > option (your runs of autoconf will be slightly slower). A nice feature request would be to move this into one of the directories specified here, AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(build/build-aux) AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR(build/m4) AM_CONFIG_HEADER(build/config.h) or into a new one? > > bootstrap > > Autotools don't create this. That must be your doing, or else you are > using gnulib. Yes, this is mine. It's my autoreconf script. Does autoreconf work fine these days? or is there another way to generate all the scripts? > > build-aux Done, used a nested path with AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR. > This is a subdirectory, precisely to hold a lot more files rather than > polluting the top level directory. > > > ChangeLog Done --foreign to automake. > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level. Same comments as > AUTHORS. > > > config.h.in Done, used a nested path with AM_CONFIG_HEADER. > This does not have to live at the top level. Use > AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([dir/config.h]) to stick it in a subdirectory instead. > > > configure > > Mandatory at the top level, for your package to be configured by end users. OK, great. > > configure.in > > That name is obsolete. You should be using configure.ac these days. > This file has to exist for you to create configure; and you need to ship > it to the user to comply with the rules of open source. No easy way to > stick it in a subdirectory. OK, great. > > COPYING > > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level. Same comments as > AUTHORS. Done --foreign to automake. > > INSTALL > > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level. Same comments as > AUTHORS. Done --foreign to automake. > > m4 > > This is a subdirectory so that you don't have to pollute the top level > with helper .m4 files. Done, used a nested path with AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR. > > Makefile.am > > If you use automake, this is mandatory to comply with the rules of open > source. You don't have to use automake, in which case you can get away > without this file. OK, great. > > Makefile.in > > Mandatory if you want your use to do './configure && make' - configure > has to create a Makefile from something, after all. OK, great. > > NEWS > > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level. Same comments as > AUTHORS. Done --foreign to automake. > > README > > GNU Coding Standards requires this in the top level. Same comments as > AUTHORS. Done --foreign to automake. > > I understand why configure, Makefile.am and bootstrap (autoreconf script) > > need to exist in this directory. > > > > Is it possible to configure the autotools so that everything else gets > > put somewhere else (like in a nested directory)? > > It's possible to configure automake to not enforce GNU Coding Standards > and drop some of the files, and to use AC_CONFIG_HEADERS to bury > config.h[.in] in a subdirectory. Beyond that, it's already a pretty > minimal list, and nothing listed above is really autoconf's fault except > for autom4te.cache (which can be disabled), so you are better off > complaining to other lists. Thanks again for the help. I got the list down to, aclocal.m4 <- ask automake bootstrap <- my autoreconf script configure Makefile.am autom4te.cache <- autoconf feature request to move to build/ dir build configure.ac Makefile.in src I'd like to still move aclocal.m4 and autom4te.cache if possible. We'll see. Bob _______________________________________________ Autoconf mailing list Autoconf@xxxxxxx https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/autoconf
