autoconf: Site Details

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1 15.6 Configuring Site Details
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1 Some software packages require complex site-specific information.  Some
1 examples are host names to use for certain services, company names, and
1 email addresses to contact.  Since some configuration scripts generated
1 by Metaconfig ask for such information interactively, people sometimes
1 wonder how to get that information in Autoconf-generated configuration
1 scripts, which aren't interactive.
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1    Such site configuration information should be put in a file that is
1 edited _only by users_, not by programs.  The location of the file can
1 either be based on the `prefix' variable, or be a standard location
1 such as the user's home directory.  It could even be specified by an
1 environment variable.  The programs should examine that file at
1 runtime, rather than at compile time.  Runtime configuration is more
1 convenient for users and makes the configuration process simpler than
11 getting the information while configuring.  ⇒Variables for
 Installation Directories (standards)Directory Variables, for more
1 information on where to put data files.
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