Re: gettext: prepare Makefile.in.in for next Automake version

[Ralf Wildenhues]

[ removing bug-gnu-gettext, adding autotonf-patches; this is
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake-patches/2006-08/msg00041.html ]

Hello Alexandre, all,

* Alexandre Duret-Lutz wrote on Sun, Aug 20, 2006 at 04:28:30PM CEST:
> D'oh! Sorry.  After digging the Autoconf sources (shouldn't 
> the manual document that @MKDIR_P@ is magic?)

Yes, maybe it should.  How about the patch below?

> I now understand why my patch was bogus.  But I'm not satisfied by the
> previous state either.  I don't want to causes too much "dominos
> upgrades" (where you run Automake 1.10 on your package to discover
> that you need another Gettext release).  

> 2006-08-20  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>
> 
>       * m4/mkdirp.m4 (AM_PROG_MKDIR_P): Prefix mkdir_p with
>       $(top_builddir)/ if it is a relative directory.

While I understand this, I do think your change is unfortunate:
First, it require Autoconf to always use `mkdir' with an absolute
directory.  This is neither documented nor is it a desirable situation:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf-patches/2006-05/msg00052.html
but it ended up being part of Autoconf for simplicity of the code (or
maybe just by chance?):
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf-patches/2006-05/msg00142.html

In hindsight, it may have been easier to just have AC_PROG_MKDIR_P use
the mkdir_p variable; but back then we weren't sure whether Automake
would adopt it quickly, or incompatibilities could develop:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf-patches/2006-05/msg00034.html

Oh well.  A bit of a mess.

Cheers,
Ralf

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Particular Programs): Mention that
        @INSTALL@ and @MKDIR_P@ may vary for different output files.
        Reported by Alexandre Duret-Lutz.

Index: doc/autoconf.texi
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/autoconf/autoconf/doc/autoconf.texi,v
retrieving revision 1.1070
diff -u -r1.1070 autoconf.texi
--- doc/autoconf.texi   22 Aug 2006 19:51:18 -0000      1.1070
+++ doc/autoconf.texi   23 Aug 2006 21:27:16 -0000
@@ -3651,6 +3651,8 @@
 default directories) to determine @var{dir} (@pxref{Output}).  Also set
 the variables @code{INSTALL_PROGRAM} and @code{INSTALL_SCRIPT} to
 @address@hidden@}} and @code{INSTALL_DATA} to @address@hidden@} -m 644}.
+Note that the value of @samp{@@INSTALL@@} is special, as it may vary for
+different configuration files.
 
 This macro screens out various instances of @command{install} known not to
 work.  It prefers to find a C program rather than a shell script, for
@@ -3703,6 +3705,9 @@
 $(FOO)} if @var{FOO} might yield a value that begins with @samp{-}.
 Finally, @code{AS_MKDIR_P} does not check for race condition
 vulnerability, whereas @code{AC_PROG_MKDIR_P} does.
+
+Note that the value of @samp{@@MKDIR_P@@} is special, as it may vary for
+different configuration files.
 @end defmac
 
 @defmac AC_PROG_LEX