10.1 Executable Scripts

It is possible to define and install programs which are scripts. Such programs are listed using the ‘SCRIPTS’ primary name. Automake doesn’t define any dependencies for scripts; the Makefile.am should include the appropriate rules.

Automake does not assume that scripts are derived objects; such objects must be deleted by hand (see What Gets Cleaned).

The automake program itself is a Perl script that is generated at configure time from automake.in. Here is how this is handled:

bin_SCRIPTS = automake

Since automake appears in the AC_OUTPUT macro, a target for it is automatically generated, and it is also automatically cleaned (despite the fact it’s a script).

Script objects can be installed in bindir, sbindir, libexecdir, or pkgdatadir.

Scripts that need not being installed can be listed in noinst_SCRIPTS, and among them, those which are needed only by make check should go in check_SCRIPTS.