13.1. Where Files Are Installed

If you have ever run configure --help, you have probably been frightened by the huge number of options offered. Although nobody ever uses more than two or three of these, they are still important to understand when writing your package; their proper use helps you figure out where each file should be installed. For a background on these standard directories and their uses, refer to Section 2.1, "Configuring."

Note

We recommend using the standard directories as described. Although most package builders use only '--prefix' or perhaps '--exec-prefix', some packages (for example, GNU/Linux distributions) require more control. For instance, if your package 'quux' puts a file into sysconfigdir, then in the default configuration ...

Get GNU Autoconf, Automake, and Libtool now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.