[comp.sources.wanted] Unix Configure script

john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) (04/11/91)

   Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
looked around, and asked several questions, and learned all sorts of things
about the system it was running on (as a prelude to installing whatever
I was installing).

   Does anyone know where I can find this wonderful thing?

Many thanks,
John (john@iastate.edu)
--
John Hascall                        An ill-chosen word is the fool's messenger.
Project Vincent
Iowa State University Computation Center                       john@iastate.edu
Ames, IA  50011                                                  (515) 294-9551

syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) (04/11/91)

john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
>   Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
>had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
>looked around, and asked several questions, and learned all sorts of things
>about the system it was running on (as a prelude to installing whatever
>I was installing).
Configure is a product of "Off the Wall Software" a.k.a Larry Wall
of rn, patch and perl fame.

It is a program in Perl called metaconfig that writes the giant
Configure shell script based on what things your application uses.

It was distributed a long while back as part of the dist 2.0 package
and is due for an upgrade some time in the not too distant future.

dist 2.0 is available at any comp.sources.unix archive site or via
larrys home machine via ftp, devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov
-- 
=====================================================================
Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP                   Elm Coordinator
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                          Voice: (215) 947-9900
syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd                        FAX:   (215) 938-0235

john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) (04/11/91)

}john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
}>   Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
}>had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which ...

syd@DSI.COM writes:
}Configure is a product of "Off the Wall Software" a.k.a Larry Wall ...
}dist 2.0 is available at any comp.sources.unix archive site or via
}larrys home machine via ftp, devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov

   Thanks to ALL who responded, I have fetched it up from devvax.
(Goodness, I'm glad I didn't wait 'till morning to check my mail!)

Thanks again,
John
--
John Hascall                        An ill-chosen word is the fool's messenger.
Project Vincent
Iowa State University Computation Center                       john@iastate.edu
Ames, IA  50011                                                  (515) 294-9551

jcburt@ipsun.larc.nasa.gov (John Burton) (04/11/91)

In article <1991Apr10.214750.19556@news.iastate.edu> john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
>
>   Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
>had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
>looked around, and asked several questions, and learned all sorts of things
>about the system it was running on (as a prelude to installing whatever
>I was installing).
>
>   Does anyone know where I can find this wonderful thing?
>
>Many thanks,
>John (john@iastate.edu)

Trying getting a distribution copy of "patch" from the usenet archives (or 
other repositories). "patch" has a copy of the "configure" script in it to
help set things up...

John

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Burton                                                        |
| G & A Technical Software                                           |
| jcburt@gatsibm.larc.nasa.gov                                       |
| jcburt@cs.wm.edu                                                   |
|                                                                    |
| Disclaimer: Hey, what can I say...These are *my* views, not those  |
|             of anyone else, be they employer, school, or government|
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

me@anywhere.EBay.Sun.COM (Wayne Thompson) (04/11/91)

Try lwall@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Larry Wall). He's REAL busy, so be patient.

Wayne

In article <1991Apr10.214750.19556@news.iastate.edu>, john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
|> 
|>    Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
|> had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
|> looked around, and asked several questions, and learned all sorts of things
|> about the system it was running on (as a prelude to installing whatever
|> I was installing).
|> 
|>    Does anyone know where I can find this wonderful thing?
|> 
|> Many thanks,
|> John (john@iastate.edu)
|> --
|> John Hascall                        An ill-chosen word is the fool's messenger.
|> Project Vincent
|> Iowa State University Computation Center                       john@iastate.edu
|> Ames, IA  50011                                                  (515) 294-9551

ferg@88opensi.88open.ORG (John Ferguson) (04/11/91)

In article <1991Apr10.214750.19556@news.iastate.edu>, john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
> 
>    Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
> had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
> looked around, and asked several questions, and learned all sorts of things
> about the system it was running on (as a prelude to installing whatever
> I was installing).
> 
>    Does anyone know where I can find this wonderful thing?
> 

I believe you are referring to the Configure script for rn/rrn.  There are
one or two other packages that try to do intelligent self-configuration (I
can't remember where I stashed them).  It would be great if more people
could take the time Larry Wall did to set up configuration scripts.

-- 
=============================================================================
John C. Ferguson          88open Consortium, Ltd.              (408) 436-6600
...!uunet!88opensi!ferg   100 Homeland Court  suite 800    FAX (408) 436-0725
ferg@88open.org           San Jose,  CA  95112

det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG (Derek E. Terveer) (04/13/91)

me@anywhere.EBay.Sun.COM (Wayne Thompson) writes:

>Try lwall@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Larry Wall). He's REAL busy, so be patient.

Better yet, don't bother him at all and instead send the following message to
netlib@uunet.uu.net:

send volume16/dist2/part0? from comp.sources.unix
send volume16/dist2/patch? from comp.sources.unix


There are seven parts and 2 patches to the current metaconfigure, as shown in
this extraction from the index of uunet's comp.sources.unix archives:
dist2/part[01-07]       Larry Wall's Configure generator, etc.
dist2/patch1            Larry Wall's Configure generator, etc.
dist2/patch2            Larry Wall's Configure generator, etc.
-- 
Derek "Tigger" Terveer	det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG -- U of MN Women's Lax
I am the way and the truth and the light, I know all the answers; don't need
your advice.  -- "I am the way and the truth and the light" -- The Legendary Pink Dots

jiml@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (James E. Leinweber) (04/16/91)

>In article <1991Apr10.214750.19556@news.iastate.edu>, 
> john@iastate.edu (Hascall John Paul) writes:
>> 
>>    Once upon a time, I installed a package I received from the net and it
>> had this terribly nifty script (named "Configure" as I recall) which
...
>>    Does anyone know where I can find this wonderful thing?

Larry Wall, who produced patch, rn, perl, among other wonderful
software, has a "metaconfigure" program which invents "Configure"
scripts for you.  I believe it was posted one of the comp.sources
groups two years ago; snoop around your favorite archive for it.
According to the archie server at quiche.cs.mcgill.ca, you can find it
in the following ftp archives:

Host uxc.cso.uiuc.edu   (128.174.5.50)
Last updated 09:58 30 Mar 1991
Location: /utils.opt/dist/mcon

Host apple.com   (130.43.2.2)
Last updated 21:31 29 Mar 1991
Location: /pub/ArchiveVol1/unix_lwall/dist/mcon

Host jyu.fi   (128.214.7.5)
Last updated 05:01  5 Apr 1991
Location: /pub/misc/metaconfig

Stealing the configure script from perl, patch, or rn and modifying it
for your own needs is also specifically encouraged by Larry.  If you
can't find any of these, as a last resort, ask him about it directly;
he's <lwall@netlabs.com>.

-- 
Jim Leinweber  (608)262-0736   State Lab. of Hygiene/U. of Wisconsin - Madison 
jiml@sente.slh.wisc.edu	       uunet!uwvax!uwslh!jiml        fax:(608)262-3257