INSTALL revision 60786
1   This file describes how to build and install less using 
2the "configure" script.  This only works on Unix systems.  
3To install on other systems, read the README file.
4
5
6Basic Installation
7==================
8
9   These are generic installation instructions.
10
11   The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for
12various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
13those values to create a `Makefile' in each directory of the package.
14It may also create one or more `.h' files containing system-dependent
15definitions.  Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that
16you can run in the future to recreate the current configuration, a file
17`config.cache' that saves the results of its tests to speed up
18reconfiguring, and a file `config.log' containing compiler output
19(useful mainly for debugging `configure').
20
21   If you need to do unusual things to compile the package, please try
22to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail
23diffs or instructions to the address given in the `README' so they can
24be considered for the next release.  If at some point `config.cache'
25contains results you don't want to keep, you may remove or edit it.
26
27   The file `configure.in' is used to create `configure' by a program
28called `autoconf'.  You only need `configure.in' if you want to change
29it or regenerate `configure' using a newer version of `autoconf'.
30
31The simplest way to compile this package is:
32
33  1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type
34     `./configure' to configure the package for your system.  If you're
35     using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type
36     `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
37     `configure' itself.
38
39     Running `configure' takes awhile.  While running, it prints some
40     messages telling which features it is checking for.
41
42  2. Type `make' to compile the package.
43
44  3. Optionally, type `make check' to run any self-tests that come with
45     the package.
46
47  4. Type `make install' to install the programs and any data files and
48     documentation.
49
50  5. You can remove the program binaries and object files from the
51     source code directory by typing `make clean'.  To also remove the
52     files that `configure' created (so you can compile the package for
53     a different kind of computer), type `make distclean'.  There is
54     also a `make maintainer-clean' target, but that is intended mainly
55     for the package's developers.  If you use it, you may have to get
56     all sorts of other programs in order to regenerate files that came
57     with the distribution.
58
59Compilers and Options
60=====================
61
62   Some systems require unusual options for compilation or linking that
63the `configure' script does not know about.  You can give `configure'
64initial values for variables by setting them in the environment.  Using
65a Bourne-compatible shell, you can do that on the command line like
66this:
67     CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix ./configure
68
69Or on systems that have the `env' program, you can do it like this:
70     env CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/include LDFLAGS=-s ./configure
71
72Compiling For Multiple Architectures
73====================================
74
75   You can compile the package for more than one kind of computer at the
76same time, by placing the object files for each architecture in their
77own directory.  To do this, you must use a version of `make' that
78supports the `VPATH' variable, such as GNU `make'.  `cd' to the
79directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run
80the `configure' script.  `configure' automatically checks for the
81source code in the directory that `configure' is in and in `..'.
82
83   If you have to use a `make' that does not supports the `VPATH'
84variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a time
85in the source code directory.  After you have installed the package for
86one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring for another
87architecture.
88
89Installation Names
90==================
91
92   By default, `make install' will install the package's files in
93`/usr/local/bin', `/usr/local/man', etc.  You can specify an
94installation prefix other than `/usr/local' by giving `configure' the
95option `--prefix=PATH'.
96
97   You can specify separate installation prefixes for
98architecture-specific files and architecture-independent files.  If you
99give `configure' the option `--exec-prefix=PATH', the package will use
100PATH as the prefix for installing programs and libraries.
101Documentation and other data files will still use the regular prefix.
102
103   In addition, if you use an unusual directory layout you can give
104options like `--bindir=PATH' to specify different values for particular
105kinds of files.  Run `configure --help' for a list of the directories
106you can set and what kinds of files go in them.
107
108   If the package supports it, you can cause programs to be installed
109with an extra prefix or suffix on their names by giving `configure' the
110option `--program-prefix=PREFIX' or `--program-suffix=SUFFIX'.
111
112Optional Features
113=================
114
115   Some packages pay attention to `--enable-FEATURE' options to
116`configure', where FEATURE indicates an optional part of the package.
117They may also pay attention to `--with-PACKAGE' options, where PACKAGE
118is something like `gnu-as' or `x' (for the X Window System).  The
119`README' should mention any `--enable-' and `--with-' options that the
120package recognizes.
121
122   For packages that use the X Window System, `configure' can usually
123find the X include and library files automatically, but if it doesn't,
124you can use the `configure' options `--x-includes=DIR' and
125`--x-libraries=DIR' to specify their locations.
126
127Specifying the System Type
128==========================
129
130   There may be some features `configure' can not figure out
131automatically, but needs to determine by the type of host the package
132will run on.  Usually `configure' can figure that out, but if it prints
133a message saying it can not guess the host type, give it the
134`--host=TYPE' option.  TYPE can either be a short name for the system
135type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name with three fields:
136     CPU-COMPANY-SYSTEM
137
138See the file `config.sub' for the possible values of each field.  If
139`config.sub' isn't included in this package, then this package doesn't
140need to know the host type.
141
142   If you are building compiler tools for cross-compiling, you can also
143use the `--target=TYPE' option to select the type of system they will
144produce code for and the `--build=TYPE' option to select the type of
145system on which you are compiling the package.
146
147Sharing Defaults
148================
149
150   If you want to set default values for `configure' scripts to share,
151you can create a site shell script called `config.site' that gives
152default values for variables like `CC', `cache_file', and `prefix'.
153`configure' looks for `PREFIX/share/config.site' if it exists, then
154`PREFIX/etc/config.site' if it exists.  Or, you can set the
155`CONFIG_SITE' environment variable to the location of the site script.
156A warning: not all `configure' scripts look for a site script.
157
158Operation Controls
159==================
160
161   `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it
162operates.
163
164`--cache-file=FILE'
165     Use and save the results of the tests in FILE instead of
166     `./config.cache'.  Set FILE to `/dev/null' to disable caching, for
167     debugging `configure'.
168
169`--help'
170     Print a summary of the options to `configure', and exit.
171
172`--quiet'
173`--silent'
174`-q'
175     Do not print messages saying which checks are being made.
176
177`--srcdir=DIR'
178     Look for the package's source code in directory DIR.  Usually
179     `configure' can determine that directory automatically.
180
181`--version'
182     Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
183     script, and exit.
184
185`configure' also accepts some other, not widely useful, options.
186
187