bug#9506: makeinfo in VPATH builds fails

[Sebastian Freundt]

Stefano Lattarini <address@hidden> writes:

> tags 9506 wontfix
> close 9506
> thanks
>
> Hi Sebastian, thanks for the bug report.
>
> On Wednesday 14 September 2011, Sebastian Freundt wrote:
>> Package: automake
>> Version: 1.11a
>> 
>> VPATH build of a project using makeinfo fails if $(srcdir) isn't writable.
>>
> Yes, this is a consequence of the fact that `.info' files are "preferably"
> generated in the srcdir; the comments in automake explain in great detail
> why and how this is done:
>
>   # Until Automake 1.6.3, .info files were built in the source tree.
>   # This was an obstacle to the support of non-distributed `.info'
>   # files, and non-distributed `.texi' files
>   #
>   # [SNIP]
>   #
>   # Back to the point, it should be clear that in order to support
>   # non-distributed .info files, we need to build them in the build
>   # tree, not in the source tree.  In Automake 1.7 .info build rules
>   # have been largely cleaned up so that .info files get always build
>   # in the build tree, even when distributed.  The idea was that
>   #   (1) if during a VPATH build the .info file was found to be
>   #       absent or out-of-date (in the source tree or in the
>   #       build tree), Make would rebuild it in the build tree.
>   #       If an up-to-date source-tree of the .info file existed,
>   #       make would not rebuild it in the build tree.
>   #   (2) having two copies of .info files, one in the source tree
>   #       and one (newer) in the build tree is not a problem because
>   #       `make dist' always pick files in the build tree first.
>   #
>   # However it turned out the be a bad idea for several reasons:
>   #   * Tru64, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD (not NetBSD) Make do not behave
>   #     like GNU Make on point (1) above.  These implementations
>   #     of Make would always rebuild .info files in the build
>   #     tree, even if such files were up to date in the source
>   #     tree.  Consequently, it was impossible to perform a VPATH
>   #     build of a package containing Texinfo files using these
>   #     Make implementations.
>   #     (Refer to the Autoconf Manual, section "Limitation of
>   #     Make", paragraph "VPATH", item "target lookup", for an
>   #     account of the differences between these implementations.)
>   #   * The GNU Coding Standards require these files to be built
>   #     in the source-tree (when they are distributed, that is).
>   #   * Keeping a fresher copy of distributed files in the
>   #     build tree can be annoying during development because
>   #     - if the files is kept under CVS, you really want it to be
>   #       updated in the source tree
>   #     - it is confusing that `make distclean' does not erase all
>   #       files in the build tree.
>   #
>   # Consequently, starting with Automake 1.8, .info files are
>   # built in the source tree again.  Because we still plan to
>   # support non-distributed .info files at some point, we
>   # have a single variable ($INSRC) that controls whether
>   # the current .info file must be built in the source tree
>   # or in the build tree.  Actually this variable is switched
>   # off for .info files that appear to be cleaned; this is
>   # for backward compatibility with package such as Texinfo ...
>   #
>   # [SNIP]
>
> The main point is that if you're distributing you `.info' files, you should
> ensure that they are *not* rebuilt when building from a distribution tarball
> (as that would wreak havoce with at least FreeBSD make).  OTOH, if you *want*
> them to be rebuilt, you should *not* distribute them, and *also* add them to
> CLEANFILES; in this case automake will build them in the buiilddir (if it
> doesn't, than that's a bug we should fix ASAP).
>
> I've marked this bug closed as "wontfix", but feel free to continue the
> discussion here if you have further doubts to clarify or ideas to contribute.


Hi Stefano,
I've followed your suggestions, and prefixed the TEXINFOS with `nodist_'
and added them to CLEANFILES, however the .info file is now neither built
nor installed (even upon make install-info).

In my case the .info files should be rebuilt and not distributed as they
contain partially auto-generated content.

Another bug report?

Cheers
Sebastian