diff --git a/autoconf/configure.ac b/autoconf/configure.ac
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index d26b589b..b1108ea8
--- a/autoconf/configure.ac
+++ b/autoconf/configure.ac
@@ -121,6 +121,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_GTEST_HOME],[
                 [AC_CHECK_HEADER(gtest/gtest.h, [GTEST_HOME="/usr"], [GTEST_HOME=""])]
                )
     AC_SUBST([GTEST_HOME])
+])	
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_SWIG_HOME],[
+    AC_ARG_WITH([swig],
+                AS_HELP_STRING([--with-swig@<:@=DIR@:>@], [SWIG root directory]),    
+                SWIG_HOME="$withval",
+                SWIG_HOME=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/sw/bin
+               )
+    AC_SUBST([SWIG_HOME])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([AX_UDUNITS_HOME],[
@@ -244,13 +253,12 @@ AC_PATH_PROG(PERL, perl, noperl)
 AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_path_PERL" = "noperl"],AC_MSG_ERROR([could not find perl]),[])
 AC_PATH_PROG(PYTHON, python${PYTHON_VERSION}, nopython)
 AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_path_PYTHON" = "nopython"],AC_MSG_ERROR([could not find python]),[])
-AC_PATH_PROG(SWIG, swig, noswig, "/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/sw/bin")
-AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" = "noswig"],AC_MSG_ERROR([could not find swig]),[])
 AC_PATH_PROG(GNUPLOT, gnuplot, nognuplot)
 AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_path_GNUPLOT" = "nognuplot"],AC_MSG_NOTICE([could not find gnuplot]),[])
-
+AX_SWIG_HOME([])
+AC_PATH_PROG(SWIG, swig, noswig, $SWIG_HOME)
+AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" = "noswig"],AC_MSG_ERROR([could not find swig]),[])
 AX_JAVA
-
 dnl look for libraries and headers we need to compile
 AC_PATH_X
 AS_IF([test "$no_x" = "yes"],AC_MSG_ERROR([could not find Xwindows development libraries and/or headers]),[])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fd2b6502..73479ac7 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -660,8 +660,9 @@ ac_ct_JAVA_CC
 JAVA_CC_FLAGS
 JAVA_CC
 USE_JAVA
-GNUPLOT
 SWIG
+SWIG_HOME
+GNUPLOT
 PYTHON
 PERL
 CURL
@@ -732,6 +733,7 @@ SHELL'
 ac_subst_files=''
 ac_user_opts='
 enable_option_checking
+with_swig
 enable_java
 with_x
 with_llvm
@@ -1385,6 +1387,7 @@ Optional Features:
 Optional Packages:
   --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]    use PACKAGE [ARG=yes]
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
+  --with-swig[=DIR]       SWIG root directory
   --with-x                use the X Window System
   --with-llvm[=DIR]       LLVM root directory
   --with-zlib=DIR         root directory path of zlib installation [defaults to
@@ -2397,6 +2400,8 @@ ac_configure="$SHELL $ac_aux_dir/configure"  # Please don't use this var.
 
 
 
+
+
 
 
 
@@ -4082,51 +4087,6 @@ fi
 if test "$ac_cv_path_PYTHON" = "nopython"; then :
   as_fn_error $? "could not find python" "$LINENO" 5
 fi
-# Extract the first word of "swig", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy swig; ac_word=$2
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_path_SWIG+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  case $SWIG in
-  [\\/]* | ?:[\\/]*)
-  ac_cv_path_SWIG="$SWIG" # Let the user override the test with a path.
-  ;;
-  *)
-  as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-as_dummy=""/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/sw/bin""
-for as_dir in $as_dummy
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
-    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_path_SWIG="$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"
-    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-  done
-IFS=$as_save_IFS
-
-  test -z "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" && ac_cv_path_SWIG="noswig"
-  ;;
-esac
-fi
-SWIG=$ac_cv_path_SWIG
-if test -n "$SWIG"; then
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $SWIG" >&5
-$as_echo "$SWIG" >&6; }
-else
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
-$as_echo "no" >&6; }
-fi
-
-
-if test "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" = "noswig"; then :
-  as_fn_error $? "could not find swig" "$LINENO" 5
-fi
 # Extract the first word of "gnuplot", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy gnuplot; ac_word=$2
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
@@ -4174,6 +4134,61 @@ $as_echo "$as_me: could not find gnuplot" >&6;}
 fi
 
 
+# Check whether --with-swig was given.
+if test "${with_swig+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_swig; SWIG_HOME="$withval"
+else
+  SWIG_HOME=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/sw/bin
+
+fi
+
+
+
+# Extract the first word of "swig", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy swig; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_path_SWIG+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  case $SWIG in
+  [\\/]* | ?:[\\/]*)
+  ac_cv_path_SWIG="$SWIG" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $SWIG_HOME
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_path_SWIG="$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" && ac_cv_path_SWIG="noswig"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+SWIG=$ac_cv_path_SWIG
+if test -n "$SWIG"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $SWIG" >&5
+$as_echo "$SWIG" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+if test "$ac_cv_path_SWIG" = "noswig"; then :
+  as_fn_error $? "could not find swig" "$LINENO" 5
+fi
+
     # Check whether --enable-java was given.
 if test "${enable_java+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_java; if test "x$enable_java" = xyes; then :
@@ -4388,7 +4403,6 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 
 fi
 
-
 ac_ext=cpp
 ac_cpp='$CXXCPP $CPPFLAGS'
 ac_compile='$CXX -c $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'