A software tool that automatically configures source code packages for compilation on different computer systems. Part of the GNU Build System used in software development.
Modern computing portmanteau from 'automatic' and 'configuration', created in the late 1980s as part of the GNU project. Designed to solve the problem of software portability across different Unix systems.
Autoconf was revolutionary because it allowed programmers to write 'configure' scripts that could automatically detect system capabilities and adjust compilation accordingly—essentially making software self-adapting. This tool enabled the explosive growth of open-source software by removing one of the biggest barriers to cross-platform development.
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