13.1 Adding installation directories

Sometimes the standard directories are not enough. For example you may wish to install objects in a subdirectory of a predefined directory. To this end, Automake allows you to extend the list of possible installation directories. A given prefix (e.g., ‘zar’) is valid if a variable of the same name with ‘dir’ appended is defined (e.g., ‘zardir’).

For instance, the following snippet will install file.xml into ‘$(datadir)/xml’.

xmldir = $(datadir)/xml
xml_DATA = file.xml

This feature can also be used to override the sanity checks Automake performs to diagnose suspicious directory/primary couples (in the unlikely case these checks are undesirable, and you really know what you’re doing). For example, Automake would error out on this input:

# Forbidden directory combinations, automake will error out on this.
pkglib_PROGRAMS = foo
doc_LIBRARIES = libquux.a

but it will succeed with this:

# Work around forbidden directory combinations.  Do not use this
# without a very good reason!
my_execbindir = $(pkglibdir)
my_doclibdir = $(docdir)
my_execbin_PROGRAMS = foo
my_doclib_LIBRARIES = libquux.a

The ‘exec’ substring of the ‘my_execbindir’ variable lets the files be installed at the right time (see The Two Parts of Install).