--- a/doc/INSTALL
+++ b/doc/INSTALL
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@
 Basic Installation
 ==================
 
-These are generic installation instructions.
+Briefly, the shell commands `./configure; make; make install' should
+configure, build, and install this package.  The following
+more-detailed instructions are generic; see the `README' file for
+instructions specific to this package.
 
    The `configure' shell script attempts to guess correct values for
 various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
@@ -23,9 +26,9 @@
 
    It can also use an optional file (typically called `config.cache'
 and enabled with `--cache-file=config.cache' or simply `-C') that saves
-the results of its tests to speed up reconfiguring.  (Caching is
+the results of its tests to speed up reconfiguring.  Caching is
 disabled by default to prevent problems with accidental use of stale
-cache files.)
+cache files.
 
    If you need to do unusual things to compile the package, please try
 to figure out how `configure' could check whether to do them, and mail
@@ -35,20 +38,17 @@
 may remove or edit it.
 
    The file `configure.ac' (or `configure.in') is used to create
-`configure' by a program called `autoconf'.  You only need
-`configure.ac' if you want to change it or regenerate `configure' using
-a newer version of `autoconf'.
+`configure' by a program called `autoconf'.  You need `configure.ac' if
+you want to change it or regenerate `configure' using a newer version
+of `autoconf'.
 
 The simplest way to compile this package is:
 
   1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type
-     `./configure' to configure the package for your system.  If you're
-     using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type
-     `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
-     `configure' itself.
+     `./configure' to configure the package for your system.
 
-     Running `configure' takes awhile.  While running, it prints some
-     messages telling which features it is checking for.
+     Running `configure' might take a while.  While running, it prints
+     some messages telling which features it is checking for.
 
   2. Type `make' to compile the package.
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 by setting variables in the command line or in the environment.  Here
 is an example:
 
-     ./configure CC=c89 CFLAGS=-O2 LIBS=-lposix
+     ./configure CC=c99 CFLAGS=-g LIBS=-lposix
 
    *Note Defining Variables::, for more details.
 
@@ -87,17 +87,15 @@
 
 You can compile the package for more than one kind of computer at the
 same time, by placing the object files for each architecture in their
-own directory.  To do this, you must use a version of `make' that
-supports the `VPATH' variable, such as GNU `make'.  `cd' to the
+own directory.  To do this, you should use GNU `make'.  `cd' to the
 directory where you want the object files and executables to go and run
 the `configure' script.  `configure' automatically checks for the
 source code in the directory that `configure' is in and in `..'.
 
-   If you have to use a `make' that does not support the `VPATH'
-variable, you have to compile the package for one architecture at a
-time in the source code directory.  After you have installed the
-package for one architecture, use `make distclean' before reconfiguring
-for another architecture.
+   With a non-GNU `make', you should compile the package for one
+architecture at a time in the source code directory.  After you have
+installed the package for one architecture, use `make distclean' before
+reconfiguring for another architecture.
 
 Installation Names
 ==================