Lorenzo, There may be a better way to do it so I'm looking forward to hearing how others did this, but I did this by creating an install hook like this:
Makefile.am: ~snip other stuff ~ EXTRA_INSTALL = <list of files> install_dir = <where everything is to be installed> help_dir = <where help files go> include ../../install-hook.in ../../install-hook.in: # This hook will install any other unusual files such as scripts. # Add in: EXTRA_INSTALL = <your list of files> # install-exec-hook: (mkdir -p $(install_dir) ; \ echo "DESTDIR IS $(DESTDIR)"; \ for p in $(PROGRAMS); do \ $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) $$p $(install_dir);\ done; \ for p in $(EXTRA_INSTALL); do \ $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) $$p $(install_dir);\ done) install-data-hook: (mkdir -p $(help_dir) ; \ cp -f *_help.txt $(help_dir)) Thanks, Laura > -----Original Message----- > From: automake-bounces+lahughes=cisco....@gnu.org [mailto:automake- > bounces+lahughes=cisco....@gnu.org] On Behalf Of Lorenzo Bettini > Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 3:58 AM > To: automake@gnu.org > Subject: installing a whole directory > > Hi > > I was trying to have 'make install' install a whole directory (together > with all its contents) by specifying in the Makefile.am > > doc_DATA = html > > where html is a directory > > I get no error from automake, but during in the installation (make > install) I get: > > /usr/bin/install -c -m 644 './html' > '/home/bettini/usr/local/share/doc/source-highlight/html' > /usr/bin/install: omitting directory `./html' > make[4]: *** [install-docDATA] Error 1 > > is there a way to achieve this? > > thanks in advance > Lorenzo