--- configure.bak	2005-08-31 20:20:38.000000000 +0200
+++ configure	2005-08-31 20:54:54.000000000 +0200
@@ -37,6 +37,31 @@
 while : ; do
   case "$1" in
     "") break;;
+    --help)
+        cat << _EOF
+  --prefix path     prefix for installation (default: /usr/local)
+
+  --bindir path     where to install binaries (default: /usr/local/bin)
+
+  --sharedir path   where to install documentation 
+                    (default: /usr/local/share/demexp)
+
+  --mandir path     where to install man pages (default: /usr/local/man/man1)
+
+  --no-client       do not compile the client (default: compile client)
+
+  --no-server       do not compile the server (default: compile server)
+
+  --no-dvi          do not produce .dvi and .pdf files (default: dvi & pdf)
+
+  --no-pdf          do not produce .pdf files (default: dvi & pdf)
+
+  --for-developer   developer features: include autotests and do 'make test' 
+                    by default (default: no)
+
+  --help            display this list
+_EOF
+        exit 1;; 
     --prefix)
         prefix=$2; shift;;
     --bindir)
@@ -123,21 +148,21 @@
 
 # do we have ocaml?
 
-echo -n "Look for ocamlc... "
+echo -n "Looking for ocamlc... "
 if sh ./searchpath ocamlc; then
     echo "found"
 else
     echo "not found"; exit 2;
 fi
 
-echo -n "Look for ocamlopt... "
+echo -n "Looking for ocamlopt... "
 if sh ./searchpath ocamlopt; then
     echo "found"
 else
     echo "not found"; exit 2;
 fi
 
-echo -n "Look for ocamldep... "
+echo -n "Looking for ocamldep... "
 if sh ./searchpath ocamldep; then
     echo "found"
 else
@@ -146,23 +171,33 @@
 
 # do we have noweb?
 
-echo -n "Look for noweb's notangle... "
+echo -n "Looking for noweb's notangle... "
 if sh ./searchpath notangle; then
     echo "found"
 else
-    echo "not found"; exit 2;
+    echo "not found";
+    echo "*** This tool si required for compilation"
+    echo "*** Please install the package or compile following instructions found"
+    echo "*** in README. Source archive available at"
+    echo "***   http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~nr/noweb/"
+    exit 2;
 fi
 
-echo -n "Look for noweb's noweave... "
+echo -n "Looking for noweb's noweave... "
 if sh ./searchpath noweave; then
     echo "found"
 else
-    echo "not found"; exit 2;
+    echo "not found";
+    echo "*** This tool si required for compilation"
+    echo "*** Please install the package or compile following instructions found"
+    echo "*** in README. Source archive available at"
+    echo "***   http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~nr/noweb/"
+    exit 2;
 fi
 
 # do we have ocamlrpcgen?
 
-echo -n "Look for ocamlrpcgen... "
+echo -n "Looking for ocamlrpcgen... "
 if sh ./searchpath ocamlrpcgen; then
     echo "found"
 else
@@ -172,30 +207,41 @@
 # do we have latex and pdflatex?
 
 if test "$dvi_target" = "yes"; then
-    echo -n "Look for latex... "
+    echo -n "Looking for latex... "
     if sh ./searchpath latex; then
         echo "found"
     else
-        echo "not found"; exit 2;
+        echo "not found";
+        echo "*** This non-essential tool is needed to generate documentation"
+        echo "*** You can disable it by using option --no-dvi"
+        exit 2;
     fi
 fi
 
 if test "$pdf_target" = "yes"; then
-    echo -n "Look for pdflatex... "
+    echo -n "Looking for pdflatex... "
     if sh ./searchpath pdflatex; then
         echo "found"
     else
-        echo "not found"; exit 2;
+        echo "not found";
+        echo "*** This non-essential tool is needed to generate documentation"
+        echo "*** You can disable it by using option --no-pdf"
+        exit 2;
     fi
 fi
 
 # do we have ocamlfind?
 
-echo -n "Look for ocamlfind... "
+echo -n "Looking for ocamlfind... "
 if sh ./searchpath ocamlfind; then
     echo "found"
 else
-    echo "not found"; exit 2;
+    echo "not found";
+    echo "*** This tool is required for compilation"
+    echo "*** Please install the package or compile following instructions found"
+    echo "*** in README. Source archive is available at:"
+    echo "***   http://www.ocaml-programming.de/programming/findlib.html"
+    exit 2;
 fi
 
 # find needed external lib using ocamlfind
@@ -203,7 +249,7 @@
 external_include=''
 external_package=''
 
-echo -n "Look for rpc and dependencies directory lib... "
+echo -n "Looking for rpc and dependencies directory lib... "
 rpcinc=`ocamlfind query -i-format -recursive -separator ' ' rpc`
 rpccmxa=rpc
 if test -n "$rpcinc"; then
@@ -211,10 +257,15 @@
     external_include="$external_include $rpcinc";
     external_package="$external_package $rpccmxa";
 else
-    echo "not found"; exit 2;
+    echo "not found";
+    echo "*** This tool is required to build the server"
+    echo "*** Please install the package or compile following instructions found"
+    echo "*** in README. Source archive available at:"
+    echo "***   http://www.ocaml-programming.de/programming/rpc.html"
+    exit 2;
 fi
 
-echo -n "Look for gz directory lib... "
+echo -n "Looking for gz directory lib... "
 gzinc=`ocamlfind query -i-format -recursive -separator ' ' gz`
 gzcmxa=gz
 if test -n "$gzinc"; then
@@ -222,11 +273,16 @@
     external_include="$external_include $gzinc";
     external_package="$external_package $gzcmxa";
 else
-    echo "not found"; exit 2;
+    echo "not found";
+    echo "*** This tool is required to build the server."
+    echo "*** Please install the package or compile following instructions found"
+    echo "*** in README. Source archive available at:"
+    echo "***   http://ocamlplot.sourceforge.net/#gz"
+    exit 2;
 fi
 
 if test "$server_target" = "yes"; then
-    echo -n "Look for cduce and its dependencies directory lib... "
+    echo -n "Looking for cduce and its dependencies directory lib... "
     cduceinc=`ocamlfind query -i-format -recursive -separator ' ' cduce`
     cducecmxa=cduce
     if test -n "$cduceinc"; then
@@ -234,7 +290,13 @@
         external_include="$external_include $cduceinc";
         external_package="$external_package $cducecmxa";
     else
-        echo "not found"; exit 2;
+        echo "*** This tool is required to build the server."
+        echo "*** Please disable server using option --no-server"
+        echo "*** or install the package"
+        echo "*** or compile following instructions found in README."
+        echo "*** Source archive available at:"
+        echo "***   http://www.cduce.org/download.html"
+        exit 2;
     fi
 fi