Autotools is actually quite simple to understand.<p>If your install needs autotools, your install is <i>broken</i>.  :)<p>The number of projects that need autotools in this day and age is vanishingly small.  A small script (bash&#x2F;python&#x2F;perl&#x2F;ruby) that checks <i>exactly</i> what you need and then runs make instead of copying 15 years of cargo cult m4 is far superior to autotools.