NAME

       wrapper - Wrapper for distinguishing Autoconf 2.13 and 2.50

SYNOPSIS

       autoconf [ options ]
       autoheader [ options ]
       autoreconf [ options ]

DESCRIPTION

       Autoconf  is  an automatic configure script builder with two major version series: 2.13 and earlier, 2.50
       and later.  Versions within either series  are  largely  compatible,  but  the  two  series  are  largely
       incompatible.   When  both  versions are installed, as they are on your system (given that you're reading
       this manpage), Debian selects between the two versions simultaneously.  This manpage  documents  how  the
       automatic  selection  works.   If  you  are  actually looking for the documentation for either version of
       Autoconf, then refer to the SEE ALSO section below.

       Automatic version selection works via a wrapper script installed under the  names  autoconf,  autoheader,
       and autoreconf.  Each of these attempts to detect which Autoconf is needed and run the correct version of
       the tool.

       There  are  no wrappers for autoupdate, autoscan, or ifnames.  These are not used during a package build.
       Choose the proper version by hand.

       The following heuristics are used to choose an Autoconf version:

       *      If file configure.ac exists, Autoconf 2.50 is used.  Autoconf  2.13  used  the  name  configure.in
              instead, but version 2.50 supports both.

              (Usually  autoconf  is  run without nonoption arguments.  If a filename is supplied on the command
              line, then version 2.50 is used if the filename ends in .ac.)

       *      Otherwise, configure.in (or the file specified on the command  line,  if  any)  is  read.   It  is
              checked for the presence of an AC_PREREQ directive.  If it specifies a minimum version higher than
              2.13, Autoconf 2.50 is used.  aclocal.m4, if present, is also scanned.

       *      Otherwise, Autoconf 2.13 is used.

       To  force  Autoconf  2.13  to  be  used,  name  the  Autoconf input file configure.in and omit the use of
       AC_PREREQ() or specify a minimum version of 2.13 or earlier.  To force Autoconf 2.50 to be used, name the
       input file configure.ac or use AC_PREREQ(2.50).

       I recommend not calling the programs autoconf2.13 or autoconf2.50, etc., directly, instead of through the
       wrappers.  When used with programs like Automake, these direct calls won't  propagate  through  into  the
       Makefile, so later re-autoconf'ings won't use the correct version.  It's better to use one of the methods
       explained above to force a particular version.

SEE ALSO

       autoconf2.13(1),     autoheader2.13(1),     autoreconf2.13(1),     autoconf2.50(1),    autoheader2.50(1),
       autoreconf2.50(1), and the Autoconf manuals autoconf and autoconf2.13.

AUTHORS

       David MacKenzie, with help from Franc,ois Pinard, Karl Berry, Richard Pixley, Ian  Lance  Taylor,  Roland
       McGrath,   Noah  Friedman,  David  D.  Zuhn,  and  many  others.   This  manpage  written  by  Ben  Pfaff
       <pfaffben@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux autoconf2.13 package.

                                                Autoconf Wrapper                                     AUTOCONF(1)