GNU Autoconf

E61961

GNU Project software build configuration tool free software

GNU Autoconf is a build configuration tool that automatically generates portable shell scripts to configure software packages for compilation on diverse Unix-like systems.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Disambiguation Statements Elicitation Referenced by

All labels observed (6)

Label	Occurrences
GNU Autoconf canonical	7
Autoconf	3
Autoconf Manual on gnu.org	1
Autoconf/Make (historical)	1
Autotools	1
GNU Autoconf macro language	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T497652 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: GNU Autoconf
Context triple: [GNU Project, hasPart, GNU Autoconf]

A. GNU Compiler Collection
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a widely used, free and open-source compiler system that supports numerous programming languages and platforms, forming a core component of the GNU toolchain and much of the open-source software ecosystem.
B. GNU Project
The GNU Project is a free software initiative that created many core components of the GNU/Linux operating system and pioneered the modern free software movement.
C. GNU toolchain
The GNU toolchain is a collection of programming tools, including compilers, linkers, assemblers, and debuggers, widely used for building and developing software on Unix-like systems.
D. The GNU Manifesto
The GNU Manifesto is Richard Stallman’s foundational essay outlining the philosophy, goals, and rationale for the free software movement and the GNU Project.
E. GNU Emacs
GNU Emacs is a highly extensible, customizable text editor and computing environment that serves as a flagship project of the GNU system and the free software movement.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: GNU Autoconf
Target entity description: GNU Autoconf is a build configuration tool that automatically generates portable shell scripts to configure software packages for compilation on diverse Unix-like systems.

A. GNU Compiler Collection
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a widely used, free and open-source compiler system that supports numerous programming languages and platforms, forming a core component of the GNU toolchain and much of the open-source software ecosystem.
B. GNU Project
The GNU Project is a free software initiative that created many core components of the GNU/Linux operating system and pioneered the modern free software movement.
C. GNU toolchain
The GNU toolchain is a collection of programming tools, including compilers, linkers, assemblers, and debuggers, widely used for building and developing software on Unix-like systems.
D. The GNU Manifesto
The GNU Manifesto is Richard Stallman’s foundational essay outlining the philosophy, goals, and rationale for the free software movement and the GNU Project.
E. GNU Emacs
GNU Emacs is a highly extensible, customizable text editor and computing environment that serves as a flagship project of the GNU system and the free software movement.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (46)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	GNU Project software ⓘ build configuration tool ⓘ free software ⓘ
category	software development tools ⓘ
componentOf	GNU Autotools ⓘ
designGoal	automatic configuration of build environments ⓘ portability across Unix-like systems ⓘ
developer	Free Software Foundation ⓘ GNU Project ⓘ
distributionFormat	source code tarball ⓘ
documentation	Autoconf Manual on gnu.org ⓘ linked to: GNU Autoconf
feature	checks for functions ⓘ checks for header files ⓘ checks for libraries ⓘ checks for types ⓘ cross-compilation support ⓘ feature tests instead of platform tests ⓘ
genre	build automation ⓘ
influenced	CMake ⓘ Meson build system ⓘ
input	configure.ac file ⓘ configure.in file ⓘ
license	GNU General Public License ⓘ
maintainer	GNU Autoconf maintainers ⓘ
operatingSystem	GNU ⓘ linked to: GNU Project Unix-like systems ⓘ
output	configure script ⓘ
partOf	GNU Build System ⓘ linked to: GNU Automake
programmingLanguage	M4 ⓘ shell script ⓘ
purpose	configure software packages for compilation ⓘ generate portable configure scripts ⓘ test system features and capabilities ⓘ
replaced	Imake in many projects ⓘ
requires	M4 ⓘ POSIX-compatible shell ⓘ
supports	diverse Unix-like systems ⓘ
supportsLanguage	C ⓘ C++ ⓘ Fortran ⓘ
targetAudience	software developers ⓘ
uses	M4 macro processor ⓘ shell scripts ⓘ
website	https://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/ ⓘ
worksWith	GNU Automake ⓘ GNU Libtool ⓘ linked to: GNU libtool

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

GNU Project → hasPart → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

GNU toolchain → includes → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

Eclipse CDT → supportsBuildSystem → Autotools ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

LLVM → previousBuildSystem → Autoconf/Make (historical) ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

GNU Autoconf → documentation → Autoconf Manual on gnu.org ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

GNU Automake → usesWith → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

Paul Eggert → notableWork → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

GNU libtool → uses → Autoconf ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

Imake → replacedBy → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

subject linked to: Imake in many projects

GNU Autotools → component → Autoconf ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

M4 → usedBy → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

M4 → influenced → GNU Autoconf macro language ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

M4 → relatedTo → GNU Autoconf ⓘ

GNU Gnulib → buildIntegration → Autoconf ⓘ

linked to: GNU Autoconf

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated Show

Statements (46)

How these facts were elicited Show

Referenced by (14)

How this entity was disambiguated

How these facts were elicited