UNIX-LIKE SYSTEMS
                          -----------------

To build/install HDF5 on Unix systems from the root of the
distribution directory:

   * Build the ./src/H5config.h file and Makefiles by saying:

        ./configure

     You can say `./configure --help' to see a list of options.

     One common option is to specify the prefix directory under which
     public files are stored.  The default prefix is `/usr/local'
     resulting in the directory structure:

        /usr/local/include      -- C header files.
        /usr/local/lib          -- The HDF5 library.
        /usr/local/bin          -- HDF5 support programs.

     To install the public files in `/usr/include', `/usr/lib', and
     `/usr/bin' instead say:

        ./configure --prefix=/usr

     Configure will create directories `include', `lib', and `bin'
     under the prefix directory if they don't already exist, but the
     prefix directory must already exist and be writable.

     You can also override detection of certain things with
     environment variables:

        CC              Name of the C compiler to use.
        CFLAGS          Alternate C compiler flags.
        CPPFLAGS        Alternate C preprocessor flags.
        MAKE            Name of the make(1) program.

     For instance it is common to say (add `env' to the beginning of
     this command if you're running a csh-like shell)

        CPPFLAGS=-DNDEBUG CC=gcc CFLAGS=-O3 ./configure

   * Build library targets by saying (if you supplied some other
     make command through the MAKE variable in the previous step then
     use that command instead):

        make

     If you're re-building the library after changing some files and
     you're not using GNU make and gcc, then you should say `make
     clean' from the top directory between each build attempt since
     the development Makefiles don't have complete dependency
     information yet.

   * Install the library, header files, and programs by saying:

        make install

     This step will fail unless you have permission to write to the
     installation directories.  Of course, you can use the header
     files, library, and programs directly out of the source tree if
     you like, skipping this step.


                           NON-UNIX SYSTEMS
                           ----------------

To build/install HDF5 on non-Unix systems from the root of the
distribution directory:

   * To be written later.