is libtool a standalone tool these days?

I'm reading the autobook -- it discusses lines like: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10:22:47; libtool gcc -c hello.c mkdir .libs gcc -c hello.c -fPIC -DPIC -o .libs/hello.lo gcc -c hello.c -o hello.o >/dev/null 2>&1 mv -f .libs/hello.lo hello.lo (this is from libtool 1.4 on redhat 7.2) But libtool 1.5 wants

methinks libtool is too smart?

I'm working with a tree with libraries with a lot of cross dependencies (its currently in flux). It was originally a system with over a hundred objects, we're starting to use libaries now. all the libraries are static (I'm on solaris8 now). I need to link g++ -o foo foo.a -lcommon -lhw -