---
name: "aclocal-1.19"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "automake"
version: "1.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/aclocal-1.19"
---

# aclocal-1.19(1)

Generate aclocal.m4 by scanning configure.ac

## NAME

aclocal - Generate aclocal.m4 by scanning configure.ac

## SYNOPSIS

**aclocal** \[*OPTION*\]...

## DESCRIPTION

Generate 'aclocal.m4' by scanning 'configure.ac' or 'configure.in'

## OPTIONS

- **--automake-acdir**=*DIR*

  directory holding automake-provided m4 files

- **--aclocal-path**=*PATH*

  colon-separated list of directories to search for third-party local files

- **--system-acdir**=*DIR*

  directory holding third-party system-wide files

- **--diff**\[=*COMMAND*\]

  run COMMAND \[diff **-u\]** on M4 files that would be changed (implies **--install** and **--dry-run**)

- **--dry-run**

  pretend to, but do not actually update any file

- **--force**

  always update output file

- **--help**

  print this help, then exit

- **-I** DIR

  add directory to search list for .m4 files

- **--install**

  copy third-party files to the first **-I** directory

- **--output**=*FILE*

  put output in FILE (default aclocal.m4)

- **--print-ac-dir**

  print name of directory holding system-wide third-party m4 files, then exit

- **--verbose**

  don't be silent

- **--version**

  print version number, then exit

- **-W**, **--warnings**=*CATEGORY*

  report the warnings falling in CATEGORY, defaults to $WARNINGS

### Warning categories are:

- cross

  cross compilation issues

- gnu

  GNU coding standards (default in gnu and gnits modes)

- obsolete

  obsolete features or constructions (default)

- override

  user redefinitions of Automake rules or variables

- portability

  portability issues (default in gnu and gnits modes)

- portability-recursive

  nested Make variables (default with **-Wportability**)

- extra-portability

  extra portability issues related to obscure tools

- syntax

  dubious syntactic constructs (default)

- unsupported

  unsupported or incomplete features (default)

### -W also understands:

- all

  turn on all the warnings

- none

  turn off all the warnings

- no-CATEGORY

  turn off warnings in CATEGORY

- error

  treat all enabled warnings as errors

## AUTHOR

Written by Tom Tromey \<tromey@redhat.com\>

-

  and Alexandre Duret-Lutz \<adl@gnu.org\>.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<bug-automake@gnu.org\>.\
 GNU Automake home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/\>.\
 General help using GNU software: \<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv2+: GNU GPL version 2 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html\>\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **aclocal** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **aclocal** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info automake**

should give you access to the complete manual.