tools-make/Documentation

@chapter GNUstep makefile package

Here is some introductory info to get you started:

@section What is the GNUstep makefile package?

The makefile package is a simple, powerful and extensible way to
write makefiles for a GNUstep-based project.  It allows the user to
write a project without having to deal with the complex issues
associated with configuration, building, installation, and packaging.
It also allows the user to easily create cross-compiled binaries.

@section Information

The file @samp{NEWS} has this packages feature history.

The files @samp{INSTALL} or @samp{GNUstep-HOWTO} 
give instructions for installing the packages. Also see the @file{machines}
documentation and various machine specific READMEs in the Documentation
directory.

Files in the @samp{Documentation} directory have information on the
design of the Makefile system and how to write your own makefiles that
work with it.

Note that releases numbers that have an odd minor version (e.g. 1.3.2)
are unstable releases. They are not as well tested as stable releases
(e.g. 1.4.1).

@section License

The GNUstep libraries are covered under the GNU Lesser Public License.
This means you can use these libraries in any program (even non-free
programs). If you distribute the libraries along with your program, 
you must make the improvements you have made
to the libraries freely available. You should read the COPYING.LIB file
for more information.

GNUstep tools, test programs, and other files are covered under the GNU
General Public License. The GNU GPL is a free software license, which
requires that all the released improved versions be free software as
well.  You should read the COPYING file for more information.

With GNUstep-Base, we strongly recommend the use of the ffcall
libraries, which provides stack frame handling for NSInvocation and
NSConnection.  "Ffcall is under GNU GPL. As a special exception, if used
in GNUstep or in derivate works of GNUstep, the included parts of ffcall
are under GNU LGPL" (Text in quotes provided by the author of ffcall).

@section History

The GNUstep makefile package was designed by Scott Christley
@email{scottc@@net-community.com} and Ovidiu Predescu
@email{ovidiu@@net-community.com}.

Flags for building shared libraries and bundles on several systems were
originally identified by Mircea Oancea @email{mircea@@pathcom.com}.

Richard Frith-Macdonald @email{richard@@brainstorm.co.uk} also
contributed with ideas.

Nicola Pero @email{nicola@@brainstorm.co.uk} rewrote much of the rule
procedures to increase the speed of the package by over a factor of 7.
He also rewrote much of the rest of the system to make it simpler and
more effective.

@section How can you help?

@itemize @bullet

@item
Give us feedback!  Tell us what you like; tell us what you think
could be better.  Send bug reports to @email{bug-gnustep@@gnu.org}.

@end itemize