ESR's Autodafe: Autotools killer

Mojibake Tengu writes:

Michael Larabel of Phoronix informs us:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Autodafe-0.2-Released

Autodafe 0.2 Released For Freeing Your Project From Autotools

Eric S Raymond has released version 0.2 of Autodafe, his latest open-source project that provides "tools for freeing your project from the clammy grip of Autotools."

Autodafe works to convert an Autotools build recipe into a bare makefile that "can be read and modified by humans." The Autodafe's README explains:

"This project collects resources for converting an autotools build recipe to a bare makefile that can be read and modified by humans.
...
The principal tool, makemake, reduces a generated Makefile to an equivalent form suitable for human modification and with internal automake cruft removed. It is intended to be used with ifdex(1) to enable severing a project from its autotools build recipe, leaving a bare Makefile in place. A HOWTO describing a conversion workflow for an entire project is included.

One other tool is planned but not yet implemented."

Those wishing to learn more about ESR's Autodafe project can do so via GitLab.
https://gitlab.com/esr/autodafe

ESR additionally added on Twitter/X:

"Release 0.2 of my autotools killer. It's ready for use on projects buiilding binaries or static libraries. Shared libraries is a more difficult problem and will gate the 1.0 release."

This is one way to work away from Autotools for those not wishing to join the Meson bandwagon or going to another build system outright.

This project intrigues me. It brings sanity to GNU. I consider Unix M4 (core macro language of Autotools) inferior even as a macro language.
I am used to craft a Makefile for my projects by hand, for decades. Having a humanized Makefile for fancy projects of others seems nice to me.

Useful links on project's GitLab:
De-Autoconfiscation HOWTO .
https://gitlab.com/esr/autodafe/-/blob/master/de-autoconfiscation.adoc

makemake manual page
https://gitlab.com/esr/autodafe/-/blob/master/makemake.adoc

Hacker's Guide to Autodafe
https://gitlab.com/esr/autodafe/-/blob/master/hacking.adoc

The project logo is the astrological symbol for planet Makemake, a Kuiper belt object 136472
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemake
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemake#/media/File:Makemake_symbol_(bold).svg

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