Despite popular opinion, an auto tools source release has already created the configure script so users do *not* need to run the autotools themselves, just ./configure && make.
One difference is that the mac and windows releases rely on a slightly different folder structure than that of the expected auto tools install (ie. Unix-style layout). In this case, one option is to leave everything in a source directory as suggested and then have a separate installer script which puts things into the right place. IMO it's easier to let configure/make do their jobs and extra stuff like this is better handled by installing into a temp directory and/or using a script to put things "in the right place".
On Dec 3, 2017, at 12:08 AM, Miller Puckette <msp@ucsd.edu> wrote:
You'd no longer just be able to change something and hit 'make' - instead you'd have to download the whole autotools horrorshow and do it the "official" way.