Re: [PATCH] test defs: don't allow `$me' to be overridden from the environment

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Stefano Lattarini wrote on Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 09:26:30PM CEST:
> On Monday 18 April 2011, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> > * Stefano Lattarini wrote on Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 12:33:25AM CEST:
> > > Subject: [PATCH] test defs: don't allow `$me' to be overridden from the 
> > > environment
> > > 
> > > * tests/defs.in ($me): Use the namespace-safe `$am_test_name' (if
> > > it's nonempty) as the default for the initialization of `$me', so
> > > that a (not unlikely) environment variable `me' won't wreak havoc
> > > in the testsuite.
> > 
> > This is better, but still lacking an explanation for the question
> > I asked earlier.
> >
> Hmmm...  I thought I had addressed all your questions properly, but
> clearly I'm wrong.  Which question have I missed?

The one here:

| > am_test_name is better, but doesn't explain either why it would be
| > needed in the first place.
| >
| Second patch of:
|  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake-patches/2011-02/msg00044.html>
| And possible similar patches in the future.

That still doesn't answer why a user-available override would be needed.
It answers why you want to make $me overridable *from within* the
testsuite, but not why for the user running 'make check'.

For example, tests/Makefile.am could have
  unset me ||:;

as part of AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.  That wouldn't defeat users running
tests themselves, but it would defeat breakage induced by differences
in the user environment.

Thanks,
Ralf