making the Makefile of rApache gives me errors - makefile

Question

Apologize in advance, I am a newbie in Linux and these stuffs.
I have to install rApache 1.2.0, but when I write on the terminal:
make -f ~/Makefile.am
it gives me many errors, such as:
make: *** No rule to make target "mod_R.h", needed by "mod_R.so".
or
make: *** No rule to make target "#DOCROOT#/httpd.conf.in", needed by "#DOCROOT#/httpd.conf".
Here is the Makefile.am (link):
# DARWIN has to be different than everyone else
# and define their autoconf $shlibpath_var to be DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH
SHLIBPATH_VAR=#SHLIBPATH_VAR#
ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
APXS=#APXS#
HTTPD=#HTTPD#
DOCROOT=#DOCROOT#
APREQ=#APREQ#
APREQ_COMPILE=#APREQ_COMPILE#
APREQ_INSTALL=#APREQ_INSTALL#
APREQ_CLEAN=#APREQ_CLEAN#
APREQ_LIB_DIR=#APREQ_LIB_DIR#
APREQ_INCLUDES=#APREQ_INCLUDES#
APREQ_LINKLD=#APREQ_LINKLD#
RPROG=#RPROG#
RPROGBATCH=R_DEFAULT_PACKAGES=NULL #RPROG# --vanilla --no-readline --slave -f
R_HOME = `$(RPROG) RHOME`
R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH = $(R_HOME)/lib
RINCLUDES=#RINCLUDES#
RLINKLD=#RLINKLD#
INCLUDES = $(RINCLUDES) $(APREQ_INCLUDES)
LDFLAGS = $(RLINKLD) $(APREQ_LINKLD)
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH):$(APREQ_LIB_DIR)
RPATH=#RPATH#
all: mod_R.so $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf
mod_R.so: .apreq-config mod_R.c mod_R.h
#echo
#echo Compiling mod_R
#echo
$(APXS) $(INCLUDES) -c mod_R.c $(RPATH) $(LDFLAGS)
.apreq-config:
#echo
#echo Configuring libapreq2
#echo
$(APREQ_COMPILE)
touch .apreq-config
install: all
$(APXS) -i -n R mod_R.la
$(APREQ_INSTALL)
$(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf: $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf.in
$(RPROGBATCH) tools/config_http.R --args $(APXS) $(HTTPD)
itest: all
#echo
#echo Point your browser to http://localhost:8181/index.html
#echo
$(SHLIBPATH_VAR)=$(LD_LIBRARY_PATH) R_HOME=$(R_HOME) $(HTTPD) -X -f $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf
test: all $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf
stop: all
$(SHLIBPATH_VAR)=$(LD_LIBRARY_PATH) R_HOME=$(R_HOME) $(HTTPD) -X -f $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf -k stop
valgrind: all
$(SHLIBPATH_VAR)=$(LD_LIBRARY_PATH) R_HOME=$(R_HOME) valgrind $(HTTPD) -X -f $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf
debug: all
#echo
#echo Copy/paste the following line to gdb
#echo
#echo run -X -f $(DOCROOT)/httpd.conf
#echo
$(SHLIBPATH_VAR)=$(LD_LIBRARY_PATH) R_HOME=$(R_HOME) gdb $(HTTPD)
clean:
rm -rf $(OBJS) core mod_R.o mod_R.so *~ .libs *.o *.slo *.lo *.la .apreq-config
$(APREQ_CLEAN)
distclean: clean
rm -rf mod_R.h Makefile .depend .install libtool config.log config.status test/httpd.conf test/access_log test/error_log test/httpd.pid test/accept.lock* aclocal.m4 autom4te.cache libapreq2/library/t/Makefile libapreq2/config.nice libapreq2/module/apache/Makefile
$(APREQ_CLEAN)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Sho

Answer 1

makefile.am is a template for autotools
makefile.am -> automake -> makefile.in
makefile.in -> autoconf -> Makefile
There must be an INSTALL or a README file.
Generally commands are
./configure
make
make test
make install
try ./configure --help for options (--prefix if you are not admin)