bug#8168: macros directory not created automatically

[Stefano Lattarini]

[adding bug-automake]

On Thursday 03 March 2011, Javier Jardón wrote:
> Hi,
>
Hi Javier, and thanks for the report.

> I'm using
> 
> ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
> 
> in my main Makefile.am, but I have to add the m4 directory to the git
> tree, or create it in my autogen script (and this doesnt work if I do
> not use a autogen file and only autoreconf instead)
> 
> Shouldnt be automake smart enough to create that directory automatically?
>
Probably yes -- but IMHO it should then also be smart enough to create
the directory *only* when it makes sense, i.e. only when the `--install'
flag is used too.

Also, it might be useful if aclocal would not complain (or at least would
not error out) in case it is passed a non-existent or unreadable directory
through the `-I' option.  This "laxer" behaviour is implemented in many
other gnu tools already (e.g., make, m4. gcc).

I might take a look at this issues in the next(ish) days.

Thanks,
  Stefano