question about handling dependent libraries...

[Ed Hartnett]

All,

If I have a library (netcdf) which depends on another library (hdf5),
which, in turn, may use another library (zlib), is there a good way to
package things for the end user?

At the moment, my end user must first install zlib. Then they must
build HDF5 with a --with-zlib=/somewhere argument, and then install
HDF5. Then they will build netCDF with a --with-hdf5=/somewhere
argument.

This is all working now, but it's a big burden for the user.

Should I make a tarball which includes and installs all three in a
single step? This is one thing I am considering. (Using the
AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS macro). 

However, how to handle cases where one of these is already installed
on the end-user system?

Anyone autotool-using library builder out there who has tried this?

Any comments on this sort of problem, and solutions for it, would be
very helpful. 

Thanks!

Ed

-- 
Ed Hartnett  -- address@hidden