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)