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

# automake(1)

Generate Makefile.in files for configure from Makefile.am

Part of [automake-1.19(1)](/automake-1.19/1.md).

## NAME

automake - Generate Makefile.in files for configure from Makefile.am

## SYNOPSIS

**automake** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*Makefile*\]...

## DESCRIPTION

Generate Makefile.in for configure from Makefile.am.

### Operation modes:

- **--help**

  print this help, then exit

- **--version**

  print version number, then exit

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

  verbosely list files processed

- **--no-force**

  only update Makefile.in's that are out of date

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

  report the warnings falling in CATEGORY

### Dependency tracking:

- **-i**, **--ignore-deps**

  disable dependency tracking code

- **--include-deps**

  enable dependency tracking code

### Flavors:

- **--foreign**

  set strictness to foreign

- **--gnits**

  set strictness to gnits

- **--gnu**

  set strictness to gnu

### Library files:

- **-a**, **--add-missing**

  add missing standard files to package

- **--libdir**=*DIR*

  set directory storing library files

- **--print-libdir**

  print directory storing library files

- **-c**, **--copy**

  with **-a**, copy missing files (default is symlink)

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

  force update of standard files

### 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

### Files automatically distributed if found (always):

- ABOUT-GNU

  COPYING.LIB         config.sub          ltmain.sh

- ABOUT-NLS

  COPYINGv2           depcomp             mdate-sh

- BACKLOG

  COPYINGv3           install-sh          missing

- COPYING

  TODO                libversion.in       mkinstalldirs

- COPYING.DOC

  ar-lib              ltcf-c.sh           py-compile

- COPYING.LESSER

  compile             ltcf-cxx.sh         texinfo.tex

- COPYING.LESSERv2

  config.guess        ltcf-gcj.sh         ylwrap

- COPYING.LESSERv3

  config.rpath        ltconfig

### Files automatically distributed if found (as .md if needed):

- AUTHORS\[.md\]

  INSTALL\[.md\]        README\[.md\]         THANKS\[.md\]

- ChangeLog\[.md\]

  NEWS\[.md\]

### Files automatically distributed if found (under certain conditions):

- README-alpha\[.md\]

  config.h.bot        configure           configure.in

- acconfig.h

  config.h.top        configure.ac        stamp-vti

-

  aclocal.m4

## 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/\>.

Features: subsecond-mtime

## 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 **automake** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **automake** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info automake**

should give you access to the complete manual.