Re: Default for libexecdir

[Bill Moseley]

On Thu, 3 Apr 2003, Russ Allbery wrote:

> If you have fifty support programs, and install them directly into
> libexecdir, then when I build your package they all end up directly in
> /usr/local/lib.  Ick.  You want to install things into a subdirectory of
> libexecdir instead.

Oh, yes.  Sorry, that was a given to install in a $(PACKAGE) subdirectory

For example, I currently use this in the Makefile.am[1]:

helperdir = $(libexecdir)/$(PACKAGE)
helper_SCRIPTS = some_helper_script


> (I unfortunately don't know how to make it default to .../lib or I'd let
> you know.  You may be able to just set the shell variable directly,
> though, at the top of your configure script.  I'd try that first.)

Yes, that's exactly my question -- how to change the default value of
$(libexecdir).  I've tried adding the variable in the configure script as
you suggest:

  libexecdir=$(prefix)/lib

and that will set libexecdir, but $(prefix) is undefined so it tries to
install in /lib/$(PACKAGE).  And that also prevents overriding with
--libexecdir option.  So that's not going to work.

> > I use acconfig.h (generated by autoheader).  Can I get $libexecdir (or
> > $(libexecdir)/$(PACKAGE) into acconfig.h so I can use it in my C code?
> > Or should I use @libexecdir@ in something like foo_CPPFLAGS when
> > building foo?  Seems like acconfig.h would be a good place to define
> > that.
> 
> It's probably easier to go the CPPFLAGS route since that makes sure all
> the variables get expanded for you.

Ok.  Just seems like since I'm already using a acconfig.h file, it would
be a nice place too keep all the defines.  And means I'll need a wider
screen when compiling... ;)


Thanks again,

[1] Actually, I'd like to set "helperdir" in configure so that I don't
have to define it in every Makefie.am, but that's yet another thing I
can't seem to make work:

scriptdir="$(libexecdir)/$(PACKAGE)"
AC_SUBST(scriptdir)

results in:

./configure: line 1: libexecdir: command not found
./configure: line 1: PACKAGE: command not found


Here's my test setups:

$ cat configure.in
AC_PREREQ(2.50)
AC_INIT(somescript)

PACKAGE=mypackage
VERSION=1.0

AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE($PACKAGE, $VERSION)
AC_PROG_CC

scriptdir="$(libexecdir)/$(PACKAGE)/config"
AC_SUBST(scriptdir)

AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile)
AC_OUTPUT

$ cat Makefile.am

## seems I need to have a program, can't just install a script.
bin_PROGRAMS = lala
lala_SOURCES = lala.c

helperdir = $(libexecdir)/$(PACKAGE)
helper_SCRIPTS = somescript

mydir = $(scriptdir)
my_SCRIPTS = myscript


-- 
Bill Moseley address@hidden