Question

I’m working on a project in C++ where I’d wish to implement the ability to add plugins. The compilation process is handled by Autotools. I’ve managed to set the file structure correct, and both the main project and the plugins are compiled, but for some reason the plugins are omitted when running make install. When compiling and installing the plugins separately it works fine. Am I missing something here, or why are the plugins not installed from the top folder?

configure.ac

AC_PREREQ(2.58)
AC_INIT([Net Responsibility],[3.1r323],[[e-mail]])
AC_SUBST([LIBTOOL_DEPS])
AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([.])
AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/main.cpp])
AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([plugins/defaultReport])
AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([scripts/m4])
AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM
AC_LANG([C++])
AC_PREFIX_PROGRAM([make])

AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([subdir-objects])

LT_PREREQ([2.2])
LT_INIT([shared])


# Checks for programs.
AC_PROG_CXX
AC_PROG_INSTALL

# Checks for header files.
AC_HEADER_STDC


...

AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
AC_OUTPUT

Makefile.am

# Main library
lib_LTLIBRARIES = libNetResponsibility.la
libNetResponsibility_la_SOURCES = \
      @top_srcdir@/src/MainApplication.cpp\
      ...
libNetResponsibility_la_CPPFLAGS = $(cppFlags)
libNetResponsibility_la_LDFLAGS = -no-undefined $(ldFlags)

# Minimal executable
bin_PROGRAMS = net-responsibility
net_responsibility_SOURCES = @top_srcdir@/src/main.cpp
net_responsibility_LDADD = -lNetResponsibility

dist_pkgdata_DATA = \
      $(top_srcdir)/data/txt.xml\
      $(top_srcdir)/COPYING

dist_pkgdata_SCRIPTS = $(top_srcdir)/scripts/init.d
dist_noinst_SCRIPTS = $(top_srcdir)/scripts/postinst\
      $(top_srcdir)/scripts/prerm

AM_LDFLAGS = -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib
ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I scripts/m4

incDirs = -I$(top_srcdir)/include

ldFlags = -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib

cppFlags = $(incDirs)\
           -DPKGDATADIR='$(pkgdatadir)'\
           -DPKGLIBDIR='$(pkglibdir)'\
           -DDATABASEDIR='$(databasedir)'\
           -DPIDDIR='$(piddir)'\
           @CPPFLAGS@

AM_CXXFLAGS = $(incDirs) @CXXFLAGS@
AM_CPPFLAGS = $(cppFlags)

EXTRA_DIST = $(top_srcdir)/lib $(top_srcdir)/include

SUBDIRS = . plugins/defaultReport

install: install-am postinst

uninstall: prerm uninstall-am postrm

postinst:
    $(top_srcdir)/scripts/postinst $(pkgdatadir) $(initdir)

prerm:
    $(top_srcdir)/scripts/prerm $(pkgdatadir) $(initdir)

postrm:
    rm -f $(piddir)/net-responsibility.pid
    rm -f $(pkgdatadir)/blacklist.xml
    rm -f $(pkgdatadir)/config.xml
    rm -rf $(pkgdatadir)/reports
    rm -f $(databasedir)/net-responsibility.db
    rm -f $(initdir)/net-responsibility

.PHONY: prerm postinst postrm

plugins/defaultReport/configure.ac

AC_PREREQ(2.58)
AC_INIT([Net Responsibility Plugin: Default Report],[0.1],[[e-mail]])
AC_SUBST([LIBTOOL_DEPS])
AC_SUBST([nrlibdir], ["${libdir}/net-responsibility"])
AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([.])
AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/Report.cpp])
AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
AC_LANG([C++])
AC_PREFIX_PROGRAM([make])

AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([subdir-objects])

LT_PREREQ([2.2])
LT_INIT([shared])

# Checks for programs.
AC_PROG_CXX
AC_PROG_INSTALL

AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
AC_OUTPUT

plugins/defaultReport/Makefile.am

# General settings
ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4

ldFlags = -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib

AM_CXXFLAGS = @CXXFLAGS@

# Module specific settings
nrlib_LTLIBRARIES = defaultReport.la
defaultReport_la_SOURCES = \
   src/Report.cpp
defaultReport_la_LDFLAGS = -module -no-undefined $(ldFlags)
defaultReport_la_LIBADD = -lNetResponsibility
defaultReport_la_CPPFLAGS = -I../../include @CPPFLAGS@

Answer 1

You need to setup nrlibdir a little differently:

plugins/defaultReport/configure.ac

Remove this line:

AC_SUBST([nrlibdir], ["${libdir}/net-responsibility"])

plugins/defaultReport/Makefile.am

Add this line before nrlib_LTLIBRARIES:

nrlibdir=$(libdir)/net-responsibility

This should help automake get make install right.

EDIT: I actually tried it this time. In addition to the above changes, remove the
install and uninstall targets in Makefile.am. You should be attaching the postinst, prerm and postrm targets to some other install hooks, perhaps something like:

install-data-hook:
        $(top_srcdir)/scripts/postinst $(pkgdatadir) $(initdir)

uninstall-local:
        $(top_srcdir)/scripts/prerm $(pkgdatadir) $(initdir)

uninstall-hook:
        rm -f $(piddir)/net-responsibility.pid
        rm -f $(pkgdatadir)/blacklist.xml
        rm -f $(pkgdatadir)/config.xml
        rm -rf $(pkgdatadir)/reports
        rm -f $(databasedir)/net-responsibility.db
        rm -f $(initdir)/net-responsibility

Would work instead of those targets.