diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index a749fcfaa985e7c1c09be0a5ee668728fc57829b..dabb5f7a256094883fbe17f829df571097aae726 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,15 @@ set -e
 # prepare everything
 echo "--> aclocal..."
 aclocal
-echo "--> autoheader..."
-autoheader
+
+# applications should provide a config.h for now
+#echo "--> autoheader..."
+#autoheader
+
 echo "--> automake..."
 automake --add-missing
+
 echo "--> autoconf..."
 autoconf
+
+echo "files successfully created, please run ./configure now"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c5c184d65241a4b60a377304d5ae8dae460527c1..e8f1a56dfe160dcab0c9dc6fcc473fd0cd277a85 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,51 +1,11 @@
 # $Id$
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
-AC_INIT(Dune, 0.0, dune@hal.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de)
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(Dune, 0.0, dune@hal.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de)
+AC_INIT(dune, 0.0, dune@hal.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(dune, 0.0, dune@hal.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de)
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([grid/common/grid.hh])
-AM_CONFIG_HEADER(common/config.hh)
 
-## extra options
-
-AC_ARG_WITH(dim,
-            AC_HELP_STRING([--with-dim=[2|3]],[which dimension to use in Albert/UG-libs]),,
-            with_dim=2)
-AC_SUBST(LIBDIM, $with_dim)
-
-# Checks for programs.
-AC_PROG_CXX
-AC_PROG_CC
-
-# Checks for the right compiler
-if test x$GCC = xyes ; then
-  if "$CC" --version | grep '^2\.' 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([you are using g++ 2.x, please upgrade to g++ 3.x
-		  if you have installed different compilers you can specify one
-		  by setting the environment variables CXX und CC.
-    ])
-  fi
-fi
-
-# stuff we need for the dune-headers
-# !!! add warnings if something can't be found
-
-# Checks for libraries.
-AC_CHECK_LIB([m], [pow])
-
-# Checks for header files.
-AC_HEADER_STDC
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([malloc.h stdlib.h string.h])
-
-# Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
-AC_HEADER_STDBOOL
-AC_C_CONST
-AC_C_INLINE
-AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
-
-# Checks for library functions.
-AC_FUNC_MALLOC
-AC_FUNC_REALLOC
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([pow sqrt])
+# do almost nothing, an application using Dune should provide the
+# checks (use the macro provided in m4/dune.m4 to do this)
 
 # write output
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile