The nearest thing to a standard solution may be autoconf, which is horrendous.
C targets an incredibly broad spectrum of hardware and software platforms, compiler implementations, and OS layouts. That's both blessing and a curse. I think it would be worth at least trying to converge on a "package" system, even if it takes the next 20 years.
> The nearest thing to a standard solution may be autoconf
I believe that is changing. A quite large number of influential projects have standardized on Meson. That includes systemd, Xorg, PipeWire, GLib, libui, hexchat, pacman, and (almost) all Gnome projects. It seems fair to say that most people (a) like it, and (b) see it as the most likely path forward for build systems.
C targets an incredibly broad spectrum of hardware and software platforms, compiler implementations, and OS layouts. That's both blessing and a curse. I think it would be worth at least trying to converge on a "package" system, even if it takes the next 20 years.