* configure, INSTALL.autoconf, etc: Update to autoconf 2000-11-29.

1 files changed, 56 insertions, 32 deletions

diff --git a/INSTALL.autoconf b/INSTALL.autoconf
index 942c83bbb..8ac237171 100644
--- a/INSTALL.autoconf
+++ b/INSTALL.autoconf
@@ -8,16 +8,22 @@ various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
 those values to create a `Makefile' in each directory of the package.
 It may also create one or more `.h' files containing system-dependent
 definitions.  Finally, it creates a shell script `config.status' that
-you can run in the future to recreate the current configuration, a file
-`config.cache' that saves the results of its tests to speed up
-reconfiguring, and a file `config.log' containing compiler output
-(useful mainly for debugging `configure').
+you can run in the future to recreate the current configuration, and a
+file `config.log' containing compiler output (useful mainly for
+debugging `configure').
+
+   It can also use an optional file (typically called `config.cache'
+and enabled with `--cache-file=config.cache' or simply `-C') that saves
+the results of its tests to speed up reconfiguring.  (Caching is
+disabled by default to prevent problems with accidental use of stale
+cache files.)
 
    If you need to do unusual things to compile the package, please try
 to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail
 diffs or instructions to the address given in the `README' so they can
-be considered for the next release.  If at some point `config.cache'
-contains results you don't want to keep, you may remove or edit it.
+be considered for the next release.  If you are using the cache, and at
+some point `config.cache' contains results you don't want to keep, you
+may remove or edit it.
 
    The file `configure.in' is used to create `configure' by a program
 called `autoconf'.  You only need `configure.in' if you want to change
@@ -60,6 +66,7 @@ for details on some of the pertinent environment variables.
 
    You can give `configure' initial values for variables by setting
 them in the environment.  You can do that on the command line like this:
+
      ./configure CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix
 
    *Note Environment Variables::, for more details.
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run
 the `configure' script.  `configure' automatically checks for the
 source code in the directory that `configure' is in and in `..'.
 
-   If you have to use a `make' that does not supports the `VPATH'
+   If you have to use a `make' that does not support the `VPATH'
 variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a time
 in the source code directory.  After you have installed the package for
 one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring for another
@@ -126,18 +133,32 @@ Specifying the System Type
 automatically, but needs to determine by the type of host the package
 will run on.  Usually `configure' can figure that out, but if it prints
 a message saying it cannot guess the host type, give it the
-`--host=TYPE' option.  TYPE can either be a short name for the system
-type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name with three fields:
+`--build=TYPE' option.  TYPE can either be a short name for the system
+type, such as `sun4', or a canonical name which has the form:
+
      CPU-COMPANY-SYSTEM
 
-See the file `config.sub' for the possible values of each field.  If
+where SYSTEM can have one of these forms:
+
+     OS
+     KERNEL-OS
+
+   See the file `config.sub' for the possible values of each field.  If
 `config.sub' isn't included in this package, then this package doesn't
 need to know the host type.
 
-   If you are building compiler tools for cross-compiling, you can also
+   If you are _building_ compiler tools for cross-compiling, you should
 use the `--target=TYPE' option to select the type of system they will
-produce code for and the `--build=TYPE' option to select the type of
-system on which you are compiling the package.
+produce code for.
+
+   If you want to _use_ a cross compiler, that generates code for a
+platform different from the build platform, you should specify the host
+platform (i.e., that on which the generated programs will eventually be
+run) with `--host=TYPE'.  In this case, you should also specify the
+build platform with `--build=TYPE', because, in this case, it may not
+be possible to guess the build platform (it sometimes involves
+compiling and running simple test programs, and this can't be done if
+the compiler is a cross compiler).
 
 Sharing Defaults
 ================
@@ -158,30 +179,36 @@ environment passed to configure.  However, some packages may run
 configure again during the build, and the customized values of these
 variables may be lost.  In order to avoid this problem, you should set
 them in the `configure' command line, using `VAR=value'.  For example:
+
      ./configure CC=/usr/local2/bin/gcc
-   will cause the specified gcc to be used as the C compiler (unless it
-is overridden in the site shell script).
 
-   Please, note that the former interface:
-     CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix ./configure
-   or
-     env CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix ./configure
-   should be avoided.
+will cause the specified gcc to be used as the C compiler (unless it is
+overridden in the site shell script).
 
-Operation Controls
-==================
+`configure' Invocation
+======================
 
    `configure' recognizes the following options to control how it
 operates.
 
-`--cache-file=FILE'
-     Use and save the results of the tests in FILE instead of
-     `./config.cache'.  Set FILE to `/dev/null' to disable caching, for
-     debugging `configure'.
-
 `--help'
+`-h'
      Print a summary of the options to `configure', and exit.
 
+`--version'
+`-V'
+     Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
+     script, and exit.
+
+`--cache-file=FILE'
+     Enable the cache: use and save the results of the tests in FILE,
+     traditionally `config.cache'.  FILE defaults to `/dev/null' to
+     disable caching.
+
+`--config-cache'
+`-C'
+     Alias for `--cache-file=config.cache'.
+
 `--quiet'
 `--silent'
 `-q'
@@ -193,9 +220,6 @@ operates.
      Look for the package's source code in directory DIR.  Usually
      `configure' can determine that directory automatically.
 
-`--version'
-     Print the version of Autoconf used to generate the `configure'
-     script, and exit.
-
-`configure' also accepts some other, not widely useful, options.
+`configure' also accepts some other, not widely useful, options.  Run
+`configure --help' for more details.