Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

autoconf
     
         The {GNU project}'s tool that configures a
        source code distribution to compile and run on a different
        platform.
     
        Among {open source} {hackers}, a mere running {binary} of a
        program is not considered a full release; what's interesting
        is a source tree that can be built into binaries using
        standard tools.  Since the mid-1990s, autoconf, {automake},
        and {libtools} have been the standard way to make a
        distribution portable so that it can be built on multiple
        {operating systems} without change.
     
        (2002-09-20)