Re: Question:Why configure file does not exist on git repository?

[Eric Blake]

On 2/5/20 8:40 AM, 川原智和 wrote:
> My name is tmn3164. I am a beginner of gnu softwares.
>
> I am now trying to build autoconf from scratch on macOS.
> I get source git repo ().
>
> Your manual tell me to do first "./configure".
> However, there is no configure file, but configure.ac .
> Ofcource, autoconf is not installed in my machine and cannot run "autoconf"
> command.

Developing autoconf requires a bootstrapping process.  First you have to 
download a released version of autoconf from a tarball (the releases DO 
contain configure), configure and install that, and THEN you can run 
autoreconf to generate configure within your .git checkout.

Most people do not do development on autoconf.  Those that do are 
assumed to be comfortable enough with the bootstrap process.

> Why configure file does not exist on git repository?

Because then the developers of autoconf would all have to use the same 
bootstrapping version of autoconf, to avoid checking in spurious 
conflicts of the generated file into git.  By leaving generated files, 
like configure, out of git, different developers can have different 
initial installed versions of autoconf and still produce the same 
resulting autoconf release tarballs, after following the bootstrap and 
release process.

> Why your repo  force me to use autoconf to build autoconf ?
> I don't need  advices "Use homebrew" or "get autoconf.zip".

There is no autoconf.zip, but rather source tarballs at 
https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/, each of which contains a configure file.

> How can I build autoconf from scratch with ONLY source code  on git
> repository ?

You can't.  You have to bootstrap with a released tarball before you can 
hack on the git repository.

--
Eric Blake, Principal Software Engineer
Red Hat, Inc.           +1-919-301-3226
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