GNU Automake

What it does

Autoconf requirement

Automake requires projects to use GNU Autoconf.checked 11 Oct 2026

Distribution archives

Automake can generate gzipped tar files and other archive formats for distribution.checked 11 Oct 2026

Download channels

Stable releases are available from the GNU download server and mirrors, while development sources are available through Git on Savannah.checked 11 Oct 2026

Integrations

Automake works with Autoconf and documents building shared libraries using GNU Libtool.checked 11 Oct 2026

Intended users

Automake is intended to reduce Makefile maintenance for GNU package maintainers.checked 11 Oct 2026

Maintenance

The project page identifies Jim Meyering as Automake's maintainer and says new volunteers are needed.checked 11 Oct 2026

Notable constraint

Automake imposes project constraints, including assumptions about Autoconf use and restrictions on configure.ac contents.checked 11 Oct 2026

Perl requirement

Automake requires Perl to generate Makefile.in files, but the resulting distributions do not require Perl to build.checked 11 Oct 2026

Programs and libraries

Automake provides functionality for building programs, libraries, and shared libraries.checked 11 Oct 2026

Purpose

GNU Automake generates GNU Coding Standards compliant Makefile.in files from Makefile.am templates.checked 11 Oct 2026

Security notice

The GNU Automake page says versions 1.12.2 and 1.11.6 fix CVE-2012-3386 in make distcheck rules.checked 11 Oct 2026

Support

Automake provides public mailing lists for discussion, patches, and bug reports.checked 11 Oct 2026

Testing

Automake supports DejaGnu and generic script based test suites, including concurrent execution, TAP, and custom test drivers and runners.checked 11 Oct 2026