To use autoconf/automake, you must first install the relevant packages. These are:
You'll find these packages on the main GNU ftp server (ftp://ftp.gnu.org/) or on any GNU mirror.
In order to use the powerful autoconf/automake scheme, you must create a configure.in which may look like:
dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script. dnl configure.in for a GTK+ based program AC_INIT(myprg.c) AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(mypkgname, 0.0.1) AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h) dnl Checks for programs. AC_PROG_CC dnl check for the c compiler dnl you should add CFLAGS="" here, 'cos it is set to -g by PROG_CC dnl Checks for libraries. AM_PATH_GTK_2_0(2.2.0,,AC_MSG_ERROR(mypkgname 0.1 needs GTK+ 2.2.0)) AC_OUTPUT( Makefile )
You must add a Makefile.am file:
bin_PROGRAMS = myprg myprg_SOURCES = myprg.c foo.c bar.c INCLUDES = @GTK_CFLAGS@ LDADD = @GTK_LIBS@ CLEANFILES = *~ DISTCLEANFILES = .deps/*.P
If your project contains more than one subdirectory, you'll have to create one Makefile.am in each directory plus a master Makefile.am which will look like:
SUBDIRS = mydir1 mydir2 mydir3
then, to use these, simply type the following commands:
aclocal autoheader autoconf automake --add-missing --include-deps --foreign
For further information, you should look at the autoconf and the automake documentation (the shipped info files are really easy to understand, and there are plenty of web resources that deal with autoconf and automake).