# autoconf > Generate configuration scripts to automatically configure software source code packages. > More information: . - Generate a configuration script from `configure.ac` (if present) or `configure.in` and save this script to `configure`: `autoconf` - Generate a configuration script from the specified template; output to `stdout`: `autoconf {{template-file}}` - Generate a configuration script from the specified template (even if the input file has not changed) and write the output to a file: `autoconf --force --output={{outfile}} {{template-file}}`