ACLOCAL(1) User Commands ACLOCAL(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

aclocal - Generate aclocal.m4 by scanning configure.ac

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**aclocal** \[*OPTION*]...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Generate 'aclocal.m4' by scanning 'configure.ac' or 'configure.in'

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

[**--automake-acdir**=*DIR*](#automake)

directory holding automake-provided m4 files

[**--aclocal-path**=*PATH*](#aclocal)

colon-separated list of directories to search for third-party local files

[**--system-acdir**=*DIR*](#system)

directory holding third-party system-wide files

[**--diff**\[=*COMMAND*\]](#diff)

run COMMAND \[diff **-u]** on M4 files that would be changed (implies **--install** and **--dry-run**)

[**--dry-run**](#dry)

pretend to, but do not actually update any file

[**--force**](#force)

always update output file

[**--help**](#help)

print this help, then exit

[**-I** DIR](#I)

add directory to search list for .m4 files

[**--install**](#install)

copy third-party files to the first **-I** directory

[**--output**=*FILE*](#output)

put output in FILE (default aclocal.m4)

[**--print-ac-dir**](#print)

print name of directory holding system-wide third-party m4 files, then exit

[**--verbose**](#verbose)

don't be silent

[**--version**](#version)

print version number, then exit

[**-W**, **--warnings**=*CATEGORY*](#W)

report the warnings falling in CATEGORY, defaults to $WARNINGS

## [Warning categories are:](#Warning_categories_are:)

[cross](#cross)

cross compilation issues

[gnu](#gnu)

GNU coding standards (default in gnu and gnits modes)

[obsolete](#obsolete)

obsolete features or constructions (default)

[override](#override)

user redefinitions of Automake rules or variables

[portability](#portability)

portability issues (default in gnu and gnits modes)

portability-recursive

nested Make variables (default with **-Wportability**)

[extra-portability](#extra)

extra portability issues related to obscure tools

[syntax](#syntax)

dubious syntactic constructs (default)

[unsupported](#unsupported)

unsupported or incomplete features (default)

## [-W also understands:](#-W_also_understands:)

[all](#all)

turn on all the warnings

[none](#none)

turn off all the warnings

[no-CATEGORY](#no)

turn off warnings in CATEGORY

[error](#error)

treat all enabled warnings as errors

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Written by Tom Tromey <tromey@redhat.com>

and Alexandre Duret-Lutz <adl@gnu.org>.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

Report bugs to <bug-automake@gnu.org>.  
GNU Automake home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/>.  
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>.

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv2+: GNU GPL version 2 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html>  
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

The full documentation for **aclocal** is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info** and **aclocal** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

**info automake**

should give you access to the complete manual.

October 2026 GNU automake 1.19

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Document: aclocal(1) from automake 1.19-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/automake.git