automake-related failure when building from git (AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT)

[Assaf Gordon]

Hello,

I'm revisiting a previously discussed topic:

"make check" fails when building from GIT on a system with 'old' automake:
  http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hello/2014-03/msg00015.html

The outcome of the above discussion is that "automake" should be upgraded on 
the system,
and therefore in GNU Hello "AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT" will not be changed back to 
"TESTS_ENVIRONMENT".

The decisions is of course yours, but I'd like to raise the following issues:
1. in "bootstrap.conf", the required version is listed as "1.9.6" - so running 
"./bootstrap" doesn't warn the user about this sure failure.

2. in "configure.ac" the required version is listed as "1.11.1", which I 
believe is not sufficient for AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.
For example, see here:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-parted/2012-08/msg00014.html

3. on Debian 7 stable/wheezy amd64, with installed version of automake 1.11.6
( https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/automake ), the tests *still* fail.
Changing to "TESTS_ENVIRONMENT" avoids the problem.

While this is only anecdotal evidence, it does hints that automake 1.11.6 is 
not sufficient (unless something is wrong with my Debian installation).
Note that Debian stable does not have automake>1.11.6 (Debian testing/unstable 
do have it).
It would be nice to support such system (Debian Stable seems a reasonable 
configuration), but if course it could be officially decided that Debian 
Stable's default versions are not sufficient for development.

4. For comparison, at least some other GNU packages decided to revert back to 
"TESTS_ENVIRONMENTS":
 http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-parted/2012-10/msg00010.html
And they still use it even today.


Thank you,
 - Assaf