Build Instructions for NetCDF-C using autoconf/automake/libtool {#netCDF-autotools}
===========================================
[TOC]
# Overview {#autotools_overview}
A CMake build of netCDF is also supported. Users should consider using
the CMake build, which builds netCDF on a wider range of platforms,
include Microsoft Windows with Visual Studio. The autotools based
build may eventually be retired; users may considering transitioning
to the CMake build. See \ref netCDF-CMake.
We also provide pre-built binary downloads for the shared versions of
netCDF for use with Visual Studio.
# Requirements {#autotools_requirements}
The following packages are required to build netCDF-C.
* netCDF-C Source Code
* Optional Requirements:
* HDF5 Libraries for netCDF4/HDF5 support.
* libcurl for DAP support.
# The Autotools Build Process {#autotools_build}
There are four steps in the Build Process when using autotools:
1. Configuration: Before compiling, the software is configured based on the desired options.
2. Building: Once configuration is complete, the libraries are compiled.
3. Testing: Post-build, it is possible to run tests to ensure the functionality of the netCDF-C libraries.
4. Installation: If all tests pass, the libraries can be installed in the location specified during configuration.
For users who prefer pre-built binaries, installation packages are available at \ref winbin
## Configuration {#autotools_configuration}
The output of the configuration step are the makefiles which build the library, utilities, and tests.
### Common Configure Options {#autotools_common_options}
| **Option** | **Autotools** | **CMake** |
| :------- | :---- | :----- |
Specify Install Location | --prefix=PREFIX | -DCMAKE\_INSTALL\_PREFIX=PREFIX
Enable/Disable netCDF-4 | --enable-netcdf-4
--disable-netcdf-4 | -DENABLE\_NETCDF\_4=ON
-DENABLE\_NETCDF\_4=OFF
Enable/Disable DAP | --enable-dap
--disable-dap | -DENABLE\_DAP=ON
-DENABLE\_DAP=OFF
Enable/Disable Utilities | --enable-utilities
--disable-utilities | -DBUILD\_UTILITIES=ON
-DBUILD\_UTILITIES=OFF
Specify shared/Static Libraries | --enable-shared
--enable-static | -DBUILD\_SHARED\_LIBS=ON
-DBUILD\_SHARED\_LIBS=OFF
Enable/Disable Tests | --enable-testsets
--disable-testsets | -DENABLE\_TESTS=ON
-DENABLE\_TESTS=OFF
Specify a custom library location | Use *CFLAGS* and *LDFLAGS* | -DCMAKE\_PREFIX\_PATH=/usr/custom_libs/
Enable parallel I/O tests | --enable-parallel-tests | -DNETCDF\_ENABLE_PARALLEL\_TESTS=ON
A full list of options can be found by invoking `configure --help`.
### Configuring your build from the command line. {#autotools_command_line}
The easiest configuration case would be one in which all of the
dependent libraries are installed on the system path (in either
Unix/Linux or Windows) and all the default options are desired. In the
source directory:
> $ ./configure
If you have libraries installed in a custom directory, you will need to
set the CPPFLAGS and LDFLAGS environment variables to tell the compiler where the
libraries are installed. For example:
> $ CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3/include LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3/lib ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/netcdf-c-4.9.3
#### Building with Parallel I/O. {#autotools_parallel_io}
NetCDF will build with parallel I/O if the C compiler is an MPI
compiler, and HDF5 was built for parallel I/O. To build netcdf-c for
parallel I/O, first build HDF5 for parallel I/O, then build netcdf-c
like this:
> $ CC=mpicc CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3_mpich/include LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3_mpicj/lib ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/netcdf-c-4.9.3_mpich --enable-parallel-tests
The parallel I/O tests will only run if the additional configure
option is used: --enable-parallel-tests. Those tests run (by default)
with mpiexec, on 4, 16, or 32 processors. If mpiexec cannot be used on
your login-nodes, a different command can be used to launch the
parallel I/O tests. Used the --with-mpiexec configure option to set a
different parallel I/O job launcher:
> $ CC=mpicc CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3_mpich/include LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3_mpicj/lib ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/netcdf-c-4.9.3_mpich --enable-parallel-tests --with-mpiexec='srun -A acct_name -q queue_name'
## Setting the HDF5 Plugin Path
Use the --with-plugin-dir= option to set the HDF5 plugin path. This
path must contain the directory where HDF5 filters have been
installed. --with-plugin-dir accepts three values:
* yes - use the first directory in environment variable
HDF5_PLUGIN_PATH (if it is set), or /usr/local/hdf5/lib/plugin (Unix)
or ${ALLUSERSPROFILE}\\hdfd5\\lib\\plugin (Windows).
* a path - path to be used for plugins.
* no - do not install or use plugins.
## Checking the Configure Summary
At the end of the configure, a summary of the build will be
output. It's important to check this to ensure that the desired build
features are accurately set. For example:
# NetCDF C Configuration Summary
==============================
# General
-------
NetCDF Version: 4.9.4-development
Dispatch Version: 5
Configured On: Wed Aug 7 06:53:22 MDT 2024
Host System: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
Build Directory: /home/ed/netcdf-c
Install Prefix: /usr/local/netcdf-c-4.9.3
Plugin Install Prefix: N.A.
# Compiling Options
-----------------
C Compiler: /usr/bin/gcc
CFLAGS: -fno-strict-aliasing
CPPFLAGS: -I/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3/include
LDFLAGS: -L/usr/local/hdf5-1.14.3/lib
AM_CFLAGS:
AM_CPPFLAGS:
AM_LDFLAGS:
Shared Library: yes
Static Library: yes
Extra libraries: -lhdf5_hl -lhdf5 -lm -lz -lsz -lzstd -lxml2 -lcurl
XML Parser: libxml2
# Features
--------
Benchmarks: no
NetCDF-2 API: yes
HDF4 Support: no
HDF5 Support: yes
CDF5 Support: yes
NC-4 Parallel Support: no
PnetCDF Support: no
DAP2 Support: yes
DAP4 Support: yes
Byte-Range Support: yes
S3 Support: no
S3 SDK: none
NCZarr Support: yes
NCZarr Zip Support: no
Diskless Support: yes
MMap Support: no
ERANGE Fill Support: no
Relaxed Boundary Check: yes
Quantization: yes
Logging: no
SZIP Write Support: yes
Standard Filters: bz2 deflate szip zstd
ZSTD Support: yes
Parallel Filters: yes
Important settings include:
* Install Prefix - this is where netCDF will be installed.
* HDF5 Support - must be 'yes' to use netcdf-4/HDF5 files.
* NC-4 Parallel Support - Must be 'yes' to use HDF5 parallel I/O.
* PnetCDF Support - Must be 'yes' to use pnetcdf library for parallel I/O with classic netCDF files.
* Standard Filters - Must include 'zstd' if zstandard compression is to be used.
* DAP2/DAP4 Support - Must be 'yes' if OPeNDAP is to be used.
## Building {#autotools_building}
The compiler can be executed directly with 'make'.
> $ make
## Testing {#autotools_testing}
Testing can be executed with:
> $ make check
## Installation {#autotools_installation}
Once netCDF has been built and tested, it may be installed using the following command:
> $ make install