diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c611bce68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Configuration script for ngspice.
+#
+# This script performs initial configuration of ngspice source
+# package.
+
+PROJECT=ngspice
+
+# Exit variable
+DIE=0
+
+
+help()
+{
+    echo
+    echo "$PROJECT autogen.sh help"
+    echo
+    echo "--help     -h: print this file"
+    echo "--version  -v: print version"
+    echo
+}
+
+version()
+{
+    echo
+    echo "$PROJECT autogen.sh 1.0"
+    echo
+}
+
+error_and_exit()
+{
+    echo "Error: $1"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+check_autoconf()
+{
+    (autoconf --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+	echo
+	echo "You must have autoconf installed to compile $PROJECT."
+	echo "See http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/"
+	echo "(newest stable release is recommended)"
+	DIE=1
+    }
+
+    (libtoolize --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+	echo
+	echo "You must have libtool installed to compile $PROJECT."
+	echo "See http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/"
+	echo "(newest stable release is recommended)"
+	DIE=1
+    }
+
+    (automake --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+	echo
+	echo "You must have automake installed to compile $PROJECT."
+	echo "See http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/"
+	echo "(newest stable release is recommended)"
+	DIE=1
+    }
+}
+
+
+case "$1" in
+    "--help" | "-h")
+        help
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+
+    "--version" | "-v")
+        version
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+
+    *)
+        ;;
+esac
+
+
+check_autoconf
+
+if [ "$DIE" -eq 1 ]; then
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+[ -f "DEVICES" ] || {
+    echo "You must run this script in the top-level $PROJECT directory"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+
+echo "Running aclocal $ACLOCAL_FLAGS"
+aclocal $ACLOCAL_FLAGS \
+    || error_and_exit "aclocal failed"
+
+echo "Running libtoolize"
+libtoolize --copy --force \
+    || error_and_exit "libtoolize failed"
+
+# optional feature: autoheader
+(autoheader --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "Running autoheader"
+  autoheader \
+      || error_and_exit "autoheader failed"
+fi
+
+echo "Running automake -Wall --copy --add-missing"
+automake  -Wall --copy --add-missing \
+    || error_and_exit "automake failed"
+
+echo "Running autoconf"
+autoconf \
+    || error_and_exit "autoconf failed"
+
+echo "Success."
+exit 0