exec-prefix corresponds to the variable `exec_prefix' for
configure, which passes it on to the `Makefile' it creates.
exec-prefix sets the root installation for
host-dependent files as follows:
Since most installations are not intended to be distributed around a network, the default value for exec-prefix is the value of `prefix', i.e., `/usr/local'. However, using exec-prefix saves space when you are installing a package on several different platforms for which many files are identical; rather than duplicate them for each host, these files can be shared in a common repository, and you can use symbolic links on each host to find the host-dependent files. It is not necessary to use this paradigm when building the GNATS tools. See section Configuring and compiling the software.
Use exec-prefix in conjunction with prefix to share
host-independent files, like libraries and info documents. For
example:
for each host: configure --prefix=/usr/gnu --exec-prefix=/usr/gnu/H-host make all install ...
Using this paradigm, all host-dependent binary files are installed into `/usr/gnu/H-host/bin', while files which do not depend on the host type for which they were configured are installed into `/usr/gnu'.
You can then use a different symbolic link for `/usr/gnu' on each host (`/usr' is usually specific to a particular machine; it is always specific to a particular architecture).
on host-1: ln -s /usr/gnu/H-host-1 /usr/gnu on host-2: ln -s /usr/gnu/H-host-2 /usr/gnu
To the end user, then, placing `/usr/gnu/bin' in her or his
PATH simply works transparently for each host type.
You can change exec-prefix on the command line to
configure using
configure --exec-prefix=exec-prefix ...
We recommend that you consult section `Using configure' in Cygnus configure, before attempting this.
Again, it is not necessary to use this paradigm when building the
GNATS tools.
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