removed by which target, we've adopted a heuristic which we believe was
first formulated by Fran@,{c}ois Pinard:
-@itemize @bullet
+@itemize @bullet
@item
If @code{make} built it, and it is commonly something that one would
want to rebuild (for instance, a @file{.o} file), then
@cindex make distcheck
The @code{dist} target in the generated @file{Makefile.in} can be used
-to generate a gzip'd @code{tar} file for distribution. The tar file is
-named based on the @samp{PACKAGE} and @samp{VERSION} variables; more
-precisely it is named @samp{@var{package}-@var{version}.tar.gz}.
+to generate a gzip'd @code{tar} file and other flavors of archive for
+distribution. The files is named based on the @samp{PACKAGE} and
+@samp{VERSION} variables; more precisely the gzip'd @code{tar} file is
+named @samp{@var{package}-@var{version}.tar.gz}.
@cvindex PACKAGE
@cvindex VERSION
@trindex dist
@section The types of distributions
-By default Automake generates a @samp{.tar.gz} file when asked to create
-a distribution. However, some projects prefer different packaging
-formats. Automake accomodates most of these using options;
-@ref{Options}.
-
-Automake also generates a @code{dist-all} target which can be used to
-make all the requested packaged distributions at once.
+@trindex dist-gzip
+Automake generates a @samp{.tar.gz} file when asked to create a
+distribution and other archives formats, @ref{Options}. The target
+@code{dist-gzip} generates the @samp{.tar.gz} file only.
@node Tests, Options, Dist, Top
@item @code{dist-bzip2}
@cindex Option, dist-bzip2
-Generate a @code{dist-bzip2} target as well as the ordinary @code{dist}
-target. This new target will create a bzip2 tar archive of the
-distribution. bzip2 archives are frequently smaller than even gzipped
-archives.
+Generate a @code{dist-bzip2} target, creating a bzip2 tar archive of the
+distribution. @code{dist} will create it in addition to the other
+formats. bzip2 archives are frequently smaller than gzipped archives.
@trindex dist-bzip2
@item @code{dist-shar}
@cindex Option, dist-shar
-Generate a @code{dist-shar} target as well as the ordinary @code{dist}
-target. This new target will create a shar archive of the
-distribution.
+Generate a @code{dist-shar} target, creating a shar archive of the
+distribution. @code{dist} will create it in addition to the other
+formats.
@trindex dist-shar
@item @code{dist-zip}
@cindex Option, dist-zip
-Generate a @code{dist-zip} target as well as the ordinary @code{dist}
-target. This new target will create a zip archive of the distribution.
+Generate a @code{dist-zip} target, creating a zip archive of the
+distribution. @code{dist} will create it in addition to the other
+formats.
@trindex dist-zip
@item @code{dist-tarZ}
@cindex Option, dist-tarZ
-Generate a @code{dist-tarZ} target as well as the ordinary @code{dist}
-target. This new target will create a compressed tar archive of the
-distribution.
+Generate a @code{dist-tarZ} target, creating a compressed tar archive of
+the distribution. @code{dist} will create it in addition to the other
+formats.
@trindex dist-tarZ
@item @code{no-dependencies}