Path managment in Linux programs

Posted by petersohn on Stack Overflow See other posts from Stack Overflow or by petersohn
Published on 2010-06-15T12:17:03Z Indexed on 2010/06/15 12:22 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 246

Filed under:

linux

|

autotools

I have a newbie Linux programming question. Suppose I have a project that uses Autotools for compiling and deployment, and I have data files that are to be installed in a location like /var/something or /usr/share/something etc., but in Autoconf, I can change these installation paths. How should the program find these files? How does it know where they are actually installed (if anywhere, since the program should work even if not installed, but run from where it was built)?

© Stack Overflow or respective owner

Related posts about linux

apt-get install and update fail

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I've got a problem with apt-get update and apt-get install ... commands . every time update or installing fails and errors are : Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198B] Ign http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable/main Translation-en_US Get:2 http://dl… >>> More
kernel module compiling error

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
sh@ubuntu:/home/ccpp/helloworld$ make gcc-4.6 -O2 -DMODULE -D_KERNEL_ -W -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -isystem /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include -c -o hello-1.o hello-1.c hello-1.c:4:0: warning: "MODULE" redefined [enabled by default] <command-line>:0:0: note: this is… >>> More
Build-Essentials installation failing

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I am having trouble accessing the several critical header files that show to be a part of the build process. The "Ubuntu Software Center" shows "Build Essentials" as installed: Next I did the following two commands, which did not improve the problem: ~$ sudo apt-get install build-essential [sudo]… >>> More
Updating Debian kernel

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I'm trying to update my Debian machine to 2.6.32-46 (which is the new stable). However, after doing apt-get update my apt-cache search linux-image shows me: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-486 - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-486 linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686-bigmem - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem linux-headers-2… >>> More
Serial connection over a single USB cable (Windows to linux, or linux to linux)

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
I'm helping out with a project for an embedded device that only has USB and no serial. This device is running Linux. These days, when we need to connect to a serial port on a device we typically use a USB to serial adapter (on something like a phone system or a load balancing device, etc). I would… >>> More

Related posts about autotools

Conflicting PACKAGE_NAME and other macros when using autotools.

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
When using autotools (with a config.h file) for both a library and a software built on that library the compiler complains about a redefinition of some macros (PACKAGE_NAME, PACKAGE_TARNAME and so on). How can I prevent this? The config.h file is needed in the library to propagate it's setting to… >>> More
Objective C++ support in autotools

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I'm working under Mac OS X 10.6.5 autoconf version 2.68 automake version 1.11.1 In a large project that is built using autoconf, automake, I need to add .mm files to the library sources. When I add them to the library_SOURCES variable they won't compile even after I use AS_IF([test "$with_target"… >>> More
Autotools automatic invocation of lcov after 'make check'

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I have successfully set up an autotools project where the tests compiles with instrumentation so I can get a test coverage report. I can get the report by running lcov in the source dir after a successful 'make check'. I now face the problem that I want to automate this step. I would like to add… >>> More
Where is documentation about EXTRA_SCRIPTS variable in autotools?

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
What is EXTARA_SCRIPTS variable for in Makefile.am? Where is it documented? >>> More
Subsume external library into source tree with Autotools.

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I am developing a new project, using Autotools for my build infrastructure. I would like to subsume external dependencies into my source tree. These dependencies are using Autotools, as well. How can I configure my project's build scripts to build and link against subsumed dependencies? Though Duret-Lutz's… >>> More