Re: include bindir in AUTOM4TE default

[Jens Petersen]

Ralf Corsepius <address@hidden> writes:

> Am Mit, 2001-12-05 um 10.53 schrieb Akim Demaille:
> > >>>>> "juhp" == Jens Petersen <address@hidden> writes:
> > 
> > >> * bin/autoconf.in (AUTOM4TE): Prefix with bindir, so that autoconf
> > >> runs even when it is installed outside the current PATH.
> > 
> > juhp> Did anyone have time to consider this patch?  Is it considered
> > juhp> useful or not?
> > 
> > I'm not in favor of it.  I believe that the principle of least
> > surprise means obeying to the PATH.  In the past, autoconf has had
> > problems because of hard coded paths.

Ok, but isn't there also the risk of getting a different
version of autom4te ahead in the path relative to the
desired version?

> > But I am waiting for the input of other people.

> To me, the basic question is: 
> 
> Is autom4te a user-visible, user-invocable, designed to be interactively
> used tool?

Well, it is visible at least to the extent that there is
environment variable AUTOM4TE.

> In this case, hanging on to $PATH is the way to go, IMHO.
> 
> If not, ie. if autom4te is considered to be an autoconf internal
> implementation detail, and not particularily designed to be used
> interactively, then Jens' patch is a step into the correct direction.

> However I am inclined to have autom4te moved out of bindir (and
> therefore $PATH) in this case.

I tend to agree.

Jens