GNU Autoconf, a
widely used build tool that shines at compatibility with a
variety of Unixes, has accumulated many improvements since its last release
in 2012 — and there are patches awaiting review. While many projects have switched to
other build systems, interest in Autoconf remains. Now, a small team
(disclaimer: including article author Sumana Harihareswara) is rejuvenating it, working through some
deferred maintenance and code review. A testable
beta is now out, a new stable release is due in early November, and
interested parties can build on this momentum to further refresh the rest
of the GNU
Build System (also known as Autotools).

Source: LWN.net – [$] Rejuvenating Autoconf