diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 265d98a..c8e80ab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,27 +1,13 @@
# pkgconf [](https://travis-ci.org/pkgconf/pkgconf)
-pkgconf is a tool and framework (`libpkgconf`) which provides compiler and linker configuration for
-development frameworks.
+`pkgconf` is a program which helps to configure compiler and linker flags for
+development frameworks. It is similar to pkg-config from freedesktop.org.
-## general summary
+`libpkgconf` is a library which provides access to most of `pkgconf`'s functionality, to allow
+other tooling such as compilers and IDEs to discover and use frameworks configured by
+pkgconf.
-pkgconf is a program which helps to configure compiler and linker flags for
-development frameworks.
-
-It is similar to pkg-config, but was written from scratch in the summer of 2011
-to replace pkg-config, which for a while needed itself to build itself (they have
-since included a 'stripped down copy of glib 2.0') Since then we have worked on
-improving pkg-config for embedded use.
-
-If you're wondering what pkg-config is useful for, you might find the tutorial/guide
-docs for [legacy pkg-config][pcdocs] useful.
-
- [pcdocs]: http://people.freedesktop.org/~dbn/pkg-config-guide.html
-
-`libpkgconf` is a library which allows other tools, such as compilers and IDEs, to
-discover and use frameworks configured by pkgconf.
-
-## usage
+## using `pkgconf` with autotools
Implementations of pkg-config, such as pkgconf, are typically used with the
PKG_CHECK_MODULES autoconf macro. As far as we know, pkgconf is
@@ -39,7 +25,7 @@ can run:
$ export PKG_CONFIG=/usr/bin/pkgconf
-## technical design (why pkgconf is better for distros)
+## comparison of `pkgconf` and `pkg-config` dependency resolvers
pkgconf builds an acyclic directed dependency graph. This allows for the user
to more conservatively link their binaries -- which may be helpful in some
@@ -50,11 +36,7 @@ other hand builds a database of all known pkg-config files on the system before
attempting to resolve dependencies, which is a considerably slower and less
efficient design.
-pkgconf also does not bundle any third-party libraries or depend on any third-party
-libraries, making it a great tool for embedded systems and distributions with
-security concerns.
-
-## other differences versus pkg-config
+## linker flags optimization
As previously mentioned, pkgconf makes optimizations to the linker flags in both the
case of static and shared linking in order to avoid overlinking binaries and also
@@ -68,13 +50,16 @@ Doing so is discouraged by the [freedesktop tutorial][fd-tut] anyway.
[fd-tut]: http://people.freedesktop.org/~dbn/pkg-config-guide.html
-Beyond that, we do not provide bug-level compatibility with pkg-config. What that means
-is, if you feel that there is a legitimate regression verses pkg-config, do let us know,
-but also make sure that the .pc files are valid and follow the rules of the
-[pkg-config tutortial][fd-tut], as most likely fixing them to follow the specified
+## compatibility with pkg-config
+
+We do not provide bug-level compatibility with pkg-config.
+
+What that means is, if you feel that there is a legitimate regression versus pkg-config,
+do let us know, but also make sure that the .pc files are valid and follow the rules of
+the [pkg-config tutortial][fd-tut], as most likely fixing them to follow the specified
rules will solve the problem.
-## compiling
+## compiling `pkgconf` and `libpkgconf`
pkgconf is basically compiled the same way any other autotools-based project is
compiled:
@@ -105,6 +90,9 @@ to make this determination themselves.
Release tarballs are available at .
+Please do not use the github tarballs as they are not pristine (instead generated by github everytime
+a download occurs).
+
## reporting bugs
See .