If you write a plugin as a single C file, gimptool can be used to build and install it. However, things get a little harder when you want to use make to build a bigger plugin, such as the Print plugin.

You might find the following macros useful, perhaps with a little tweaking. They are modified versions of macros used in gimp-print. Just put GIMP_PLUG_IN_DIR in configure.ac, and then you can use

gimp_plug_in_PROGRAMS = myplugin myplugin_SOURCES = foo.c foo.h bar.c bar.h baz.c baz.h

in a Makefile.am, and use the automake/libtool framework instead of custom install rules using gimptool (which won't be pretty when using libtool). You can also use --enable-user-install to install into a home directory instead. autoconf >= 2.50 is required.

Regards, Roger

--------begin m4 macros-------- # This file is part of the GIMP -*- Autoconf -*- # gimptool support.
# Copyright 2000-2002 Roger Leigh
#
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by # the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) # any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the # GNU General Public License for more details. #
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License # along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA # 02111-1307, USA.

## Table of Contents: ## 1. User install
## 1. Plug-in directory

## --------------- ## ## 1. User install ##
## --------------- ##

# GIMP_PLUG_IN_INSTALL # --------------------
# Install in system or home directory AC_DEFUN([GIMP_PLUG_IN_INSTALL],
[dnl
AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to install GIMP plugins in home directory]) AC_ARG_ENABLE([user-install],
[AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-user-install], [install GIMP plugins in home directory @@])], [case "${enableval}" in yes) USER_INSTALL="yes" ; AC_MSG_RESULT([yes]) ;; no) USER_INSTALL="no" ; AC_MSG_RESULT([no]) ;; *) AC_MSG_RESULT([unknown]) AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value ${enableval} for --enable-user-install]) ;; esac],
[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
USER_INSTALL="no"])
if test x$USER_INSTALL = xyes ; then PLUG_IN_PATH="bin"
else
PLUG_IN_PATH="admin-bin"
fi
])

## -------------------- ##
## 2. Plug-in directory ##
## -------------------- ##

# GIMP_PLUG_IN_DIR # --------------------
# Locate the GIMP plugin directory using gimptool AC_DEFUN([GIMP_PLUG_IN_DIR],
[dnl Extract directory using --dry-run and sed AC_REQUIRE([GIMP_PLUG_IN_INSTALL])
if test x${BUILD_GIMP} = xyes ; then AC_PATH_PROG(GIMPTOOL, gimptool)
AC_MSG_CHECKING([for GIMP plug-in directory]) # create temporary "plug-in" to install touch tmpplugin
chmod 755 tmpplugin
GIMPTOOL_OUTPUT=`$GIMPTOOL --dry-run --install-${PLUG_IN_PATH} tmpplugin` rm tmpplugin
gimp_plug_indir=`echo "$GIMPTOOL_OUTPUT" | sed -e 's/.* \(.*\)\/tmpplugin/\1/'` AC_MSG_RESULT([$gimp_plug_indir])
else
gimp_plug_indir="$libdir/gimp/1.2/plug-ins" fi
AC_SUBST(gimp_plug_indir)
])
--------end m4 macros--------