lynx-dev dev9 problem (really)

[Philip Webb]

in an effort to track down the problems i encountered with dev.17 ,
i set about testing earlier versions, starting at halfway with dev.9 :
i downloaded 2-8-1rel.2 & patches dev.1-15 (carefully using `d')
& patched in order upto dev.9 , then said  ./configure  with this result:

[ config.log ]

configure:610: checking host system type
configure:635: checking for gcc
configure:664: checking for cc
configure:712: checking whether the C compiler (cc  ) works
configure:726: cc -o conftest    conftest.c  1>&5
configure:746: checking whether the C compiler (cc  ) is a cross-compiler
configure:751: checking whether we are using GNU C
configure:760: cc -E conftest.c
configure:803: checking how to run the C preprocessor
configure:824: cc -E  conftest.c >/dev/null 2>conftest.out
configure:866: checking for ranlib
configure:893: checking whether make sets ${MAKE}
configure:921: checking for style of include in makefiles
couldn't load shell (bu22):No such file or directory.
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
include ../head11613
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'
cannot get "../head11613" for including.
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
include "../head11613"
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'
make: file `makefile' line 3: Must be a separator (: or ::) for rules (bu39)
couldn't load shell (bu22):No such file or directory.
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
.include ../head11613
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'
make: file `makefile' line 3: Must be a separator (: or ::) for rules (bu39)
couldn't load shell (bu22):No such file or directory.
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
.include "../head11613"
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'
make: file `makefile' line 3: Must be a separator (: or ::) for rules (bu39)
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
!include ../head11613
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'
make: file `makefile' line 3: Must be a separator (: or ::) for rules (bu39)
Tried
SHELL=/bin/sh 
!include "../head11613"
all :
        @echo 'cf_make_include=$(RESULT)'

[end of  config.log ]

this is beyond me: any suggestions?

-- 
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SUPPORT     ___________//___,  Philip Webb : address@hidden
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|  Centre for Urban & Community Studies
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'  University of Toronto