When installing a package on a Unix or Unix-like environment, a configure script is a shell script that generates build configuration files for a codebase to facilitate cross-platform support. It generates files tailoring for the host system – the environment on which the codebase is built and run.
Even though there are no standards for such a script, the pattern is so ubiquitous that many developers are familiar with and even expect a script named configure that has this functionality. The script can be and originally was hand-coded. Today, multiple tools are available for generating a configure script based on special configuration files. One commonly used tool is Autotools which generates a Bash script.
Obtaining a software package as source code and compiling it locally is a common scenario on Unix and Unix-like environments. Typically, this process involves the following steps:
- Generate build configuration files
- Build the code
- Install the result to an accessible location
A configure script accomplishes the first step by generating a makefile that is configured for the host system. This includes using the libraries of the host as required by the codebase.