To set up or modify a source-code {distribution} so that it
configures and builds using the GNU project's
autoconf/automake/libtools suite. 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 and friends been the
standard way to adapt a distribution for portability so that it can
be built on multiple operating systems without change.
[glossary]