Automake generates separate install-data and install-exec
rules, in case the installer is installing on multiple machines that
share directory structure—these targets allow the machine-independent
parts to be installed only once. install-exec installs
platform-dependent files, and install-data installs
platform-independent files. The install target depends on both
of these targets. While Automake tries to automatically segregate
objects into the correct category, the Makefile.am author is, in
the end, responsible for making sure this is done correctly.
Variables using the standard directory prefixes ‘data’,
‘info’, ‘man’, ‘include’, ‘oldinclude’,
‘pkgdata’, or ‘pkginclude’ are installed by
install-data.
Variables using the standard directory prefixes ‘bin’,
‘sbin’, ‘libexec’, ‘sysconf’, ‘localstate’,
‘lib’, or ‘pkglib’ are installed by install-exec.
For instance, data_DATA files are installed by install-data,
while bin_PROGRAMS files are installed by install-exec.
Any variable using a user-defined directory prefix with
‘exec’ in the name (e.g.,
myexecbin_PROGRAMS) is installed by install-exec. All
other user-defined prefixes are installed by install-data.