Re: [automake] Debian and its alternatives' system.

[Eric Dorland]

* Benoit Perrot (address@hidden) wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am facing an issue with the AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE macro -- I don't know
> if it is more an autoconf or an automake problem.
> 
> On debian, several version of the same package may be installed,
> and the default, prefered one is selected by providing a
> symbolic link pointing to it.
> 
> Let's imagine I have automake-1.7 and automake-1.9 on my system,
> and the `automake' symbolicaly links to automake-1.7.
> The `configure.ac' of my project contains the statement:
> 
>   AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9])
> 
> As `automake' (ie automake-1.7) is searched, autoconf fails.
> What is sad is that automake-1.9 _is_ present on my system,
> it is simply not the default one. Of course, I could use the
> update-alternatives utility of debian to modify it, but for
> this I need root access to the system.
> 
> So, I was wondering if there was a way to select the automake
> path or exe to use, or if patching AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE could be
> the solution.
> 
> What do you think?

Since now by default the "automake" symlink will automatically point
to the latest version of automake installed on the system. So that
situation when the administrator has explicitly set the alternative to
something else, and should probably live with the consequences. 

-- 
Eric Dorland <address@hidden>
ICQ: #61138586, Jabber: address@hidden
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