---
name: "autoheader"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "autoconf"
version: "2.73-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/autoheader"
---

# autoheader(1)

Create a template header for configure

## NAME

autoheader - Create a template header for configure

## SYNOPSIS

**autoheader** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*TEMPLATE-FILE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Create a template file of C '#define' statements for 'configure' to use.  To this end, scan TEMPLATE-FILE, or 'configure.ac' if present, or else 'configure.in'.

- **-h**, **--help**

  print this help, then exit

- **-V**, **--version**

  print version number, then exit

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  verbosely report processing

- **-d**, **--debug**

  don't remove temporary files

- **-f**, **--force**

  consider all files obsolete

- **-R**, **--replace-handwritten**

  overwrite an existing template file that appears not to have been generated by autoheader

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

  report the warnings falling in CATEGORY (comma-separated list accepted)

### 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

### Library directories:

- **-B**, **--prepend-include**=*DIR*

  prepend directory DIR to search path

- **-I**, **--include**=*DIR*

  append directory DIR to search path

## AUTHOR

Written by Roland McGrath and Akim Demaille.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to ⟨bug-autoconf@gnu.org⟩, or via Savannah: ⟨https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?group=autoconf⟩.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+/Autoconf: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>, \<https://gnu.org/licenses/exceptions.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

[**autoconf**(1)](/autoconf/1.md), [**automake**(1)](/automake/1.md), [**autoreconf**(1)](/autoreconf/1.md), [**autoupdate**(1)](/autoupdate/1.md), [**autoheader**(1)](/autoheader/1.md), [**autoscan**(1)](/autoscan/1.md), [**config.guess**(1)](/config.guess/1.md), [**config.sub**(1)](/config.sub/1.md), [**ifnames**(1)](/ifnames/1.md), [**libtool**(1)](/libtool/1.md).

The full documentation for Autoconf is maintained as a Texinfo manual. To read the manual locally, use the command

-

  **info autoconf**

You can also consult the Web version of the manual at ⟨https://gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/⟩.