Re: suggestions about AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello Lorenzo,

* Lorenzo Bettini wrote on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 08:15:01PM CEST:
> Christian Rössel wrote:
>> Lorenzo Bettini wrote:
>>> Braden McDaniel wrote:
>>>> On 4/21/09 1:35 PM, Lorenzo Bettini wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> aclocaldir = $(datadir)/aclocal
>>>>> aclocal_DATA = ax_boost_base.m4 ax_boost_regex.m4
>>>> Unless you're Boost, you shouldn't be installing these.

>>> well, but my library needs boost regex library, so I was planning to
>>> write an autoconf macro that not only searches for my library but also
>>> for boost regex library...

>> there is already a test for boost regex in the autoconf macro archive:
>> ax_boost_regex

> Yes I know, and these are those files; I was thinking of distributing  
> since my macro (for my library) relies on boost regex, so I wanted to  
> check also for boost regex library inside my macro

You are correct in that you should have those files in your source tree,
and it is fine if you distribute them in your package tarballs, but
since your package is not the principal owner of these macro files, you
should not *install* them.  That's the crucial difference.

So, instead of the two lines quoted above, it would be ok to write
  EXTRA_DIST = ax_boost_base.m4 ax_boost_regex.m4

However, in case you are using these macros in your configure.ac anyway,
then automake will already take care of adding them to your distribution
tarball anyway, even without the EXTRA_DIST line.

Cheers,
Ralf