Re: distcheck fails with autotest: autom4te: cannot open ../../tests/testsuite.tmp: Permission denied

[Eric Blake]

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According to Jim Meyering on 11/3/2007 3:31 AM:
> So a build+check would have to be slightly different to accommodate
> this.  Here's a proposed new set of commands for README-hacking:
> 
> diff --git a/README-hacking b/README-hacking
> index 32c4a47..61616fe 100644
> --- a/README-hacking
> +++ b/README-hacking
> @@ -33,12 +33,15 @@ You can get a copy of the source repository like this:
>  The next step is to generate files like configure and Makefile.in:
> 
>       $ cd autoconf
> -     $ ( PATH=`pwd`/tests:$PATH; autoreconf -vi )
> +     $ autoreconf -vi
> 
> -And there you are!  Just
> +Since we're building autoconf itself, and its tests are picky, the
> +following procedure includes an extra step to ensure that some
> +generated files are regenerated using the tools just build by "make":
> 
>       $ ./configure
>       $ make
> +     $ ( PATH=`pwd`/tests:$PATH; autoreconf -vi )
>       $ make check
> 
>  At this point, there should be no difference between your local copy,
> 
> That covers the initial bits.
> 
> Hmm... with GNU Make, it'd be easy.
> Just export PATH=`pwd`/tests:$PATH in GNUmakefile.

Let's do both items.

> Hey, this problem arises only with "developers", so how about
> assuming GNU make and doing just that?  I think it's certainly
> fair to assume people doing autoconf development have GNU make
> installed.  "make dist" already requires that.

In other words, it's nice to make it easy for users of GNU make, but we
should still document that running a successful 'make check' is possible
without GNU make, by running the second autoreconf with the altered PATH.

- --
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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