Re: absolute build directory with spaces

[Jim Meyering]

Stefano Lattarini wrote:

> On Saturday 04 September 2010, Bruno Haible wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Jim Meyering wrote on bug-gnulib:
>> > Coreutils tests with an absolute build directory name that
>> > contains a space.  Not quoting this directory name caused a
>> > failure. * tests/test-vc-list-files-git.sh: Quote PATH dir name.
>> > ...
>> > --- a/tests/test-vc-list-files-git.sh
>> > +++ b/tests/test-vc-list-files-git.sh
>> > @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
>> >
>> >  # along with this program.  If not, see
>> >  <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
>> >
>> >  : ${srcdir=.}
>> >
>> > -. "$srcdir/init.sh"; path_prepend_ $abs_aux_dir .
>> > +. "$srcdir/init.sh"; path_prepend_ "$abs_aux_dir" .
>>
>> This extra check, part of "make distcheck", that verifies that the
>> package builds even when the srcdir or builddir contains a space,
>> would be useful for more packages. On mingw, it is frequent to
>> have spaces in directories.
>>
>> Could Automake offer this check, if a certain Automake option is
>> specified in AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE?
> What about instead making the names of the temporaries source/build/install
> directories used by "make distcheck" configurable?  This will offer more
> flexibility, and won't introduce still another automake option which would
> make backward-compatibility more problematic.
>
> I was thinking of something on these lines:
>
>   $ cat Makefile.am
>   ...
>   AM_DISTCHECK_BUILDDIR_NAME = _ b u i l d ## will be relative to $(distdir)
>   AM_DISTCHECK_SRCDIR_NAME = .             ## likewise
>   AM_DISTCHECK_INSTALLDIR_NAME = address@hidden   ## likewise
>
> If you like the proposal, I might try to implement this (but right away).

I do like it.  Thanks!