4 files changed, 14 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/externals/build/TODO b/externals/build/TODO
index 8f6ed898..2f643ccd 100644
--- a/externals/build/TODO
+++ b/externals/build/TODO
@@ -19,3 +19,7 @@
 
 - make MinGW makefile for "win" so that the GNU Makefile method will be
   standard on all platforms.
+
+- do symlink aliases in externals/build/src/makefile.common
+
+- write externals/build/doc/standardize-help.sh
diff --git a/externals/build/doc/makefile b/externals/build/doc/makefile
index ada1d8ed..13088f0a 100644
--- a/externals/build/doc/makefile
+++ b/externals/build/doc/makefile
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ all:
 			../../hcs/hid/*-help.pd \
 			../../hcs/hid/ev*-list.pd \
 			../../hcs/pan/*-help.pd \
+			../../iem/comport/*/*-help.pd \
 			../../markex/*.pd \
 			../../maxlib/help/*.* \
 			../../mjlib/doc/*.pd \
@@ -54,8 +55,6 @@ all:
 # its best not to change the objects
 	install -d -m0755 $(DOC_DIR)/iemhelp
 	cp -p ../../iemlib/iemhelp/*.* $(DOC_DIR)/iemhelp
-# comport
-	cp -p ../../iem/comport/comport/testcomport.pd $(DOC_DIR)/comport-help.pd
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # zexy uses its own dir
 	cp -Rp ../../zexy/examples $(DOC_DIR)/zexy
diff --git a/externals/build/src/bird.c b/externals/build/src/bird.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83c48605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/externals/build/src/bird.c
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include "../../iem/comport/bird/bird.c"
diff --git a/externals/build/src/makefile.common b/externals/build/src/makefile.common
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fc0b55cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/externals/build/src/makefile.common
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+# use UNIX symbolic links to create aliases for objects with 
+# more than one name
+
+alias-links:
+	grep addcreator `find ../../ -name '*.c'` | sed -re 's|.*/(.*\.c):.*class_addcreator\(.*gensym\("(.*)"\).*|\1 \2|'
+
+#then use ($foreach )