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+
+******************************
+Compiling Cantera C++ Programs
+******************************
+
+In general, it should be possible to use Cantera with any build system by
+specifying the appropriate header and library paths, and specifying the required
+libraries when linking. It is also necessary to specify the paths for libraries
+used by Cantera, e.g. Sundials, BLAS, and LAPACK.
+
+SCons
+=====
+
+SCons is a multi-platform, Python-based build system. It is the build system
+used to compile Cantera. The description of how to build a project is contained
+in a file named ``SConstruct``. The ``SConstruct`` file is actually a Python
+script, which makes it very straightforward to add functionality to a
+SCons-based build system.
+
+A typical ``SConstruct`` file for compiling a program that uses Cantera might
+look like this::
+
+    env = Environment()
+
+    env.Append(CCFLAGS='-g',
+               CPPPATH=['/usr/local/cantera/include', 
+                        '/usr/local/sundials/include'],
+	       LIBS=['cantera', 'sundials_cvodes', 'sundials_ida', 
+                     'sundials_nvecserial', 'lapack', 'blas'],
+               LIBPATH=['/usr/local/cantera/lib',
+                        '/usr/local/sundials/lib'],
+               LINKFLAGS=['-g', '-pthread'])
+
+    sample = env.Program('sample', 'sample.cpp')
+    Default(sample)
+
+This script establishes what SCons refers to as a "construction environment"
+named ``env``, and sets the header (``CPPPATH``) and library (``LIBPATH``) paths
+to include the directories containing the Cantera headers and libraries, as well
+as libraries that Cantera depends on, such as Sundials, BLAS, and LAPACK. Then,
+a program named ``sample`` is compiled using the single source file
+``sample.cpp``.
+
+Several other example ``SConstruct`` files are included with the C++ examples
+contained in the ``samples`` subdirectory of the Cantera installation directory.
+
+For more information on SCons, see the `SCons Wiki <http://scons.org/wiki/>`_
+and the `SCons homepage <http://www.scons.org>`_.
+
+Make
+====
+
+Cantera is distributed with an "include Makefile" that can be used with
+Make-based build systems. This file ``Cantera.mak`` is located in the
+``samples`` subdirectory of the Cantera installation directory. To use it, add a
+line referincing this file to the top of your Makefile::
+
+    include path/to/Cantera.mak
+
+The path specified should be the relative path from the ``Makefile`` to
+``Cantera.mak``. This file defines several variables which can be used in your
+Makefile. The following is an example ``Makefile`` that uses the definitions
+contained in ``Cantera.mak``:
+
+.. code-block:: makefile
+
+    include ../../Cantera.mak
+
+    CC=gcc
+    CXX=g++
+    RM=rm -f
+    CCFLAGS=-g
+    CPPFLAGS=$(CANTERA_INCLUDES)
+    LDFLAGS=
+    LDLIBS=$(CANTERA_LIBS)
+
+    SRCS=sample.cpp
+    OBJS=$(subst .cpp,.o,$(SRCS))
+
+    all: sample
+
+    kinetics1: $(OBJS)
+	    $(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -o sample $(OBJS) $(LDLIBS)
+
+    clean:
+	    $(RM) $(OBJS)
+
+    dist-clean: clean
+	    $(RM) *~
+