Could the --add-missing option be supported in AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE? (was: Re: How to automatically get missing files when changing configure.ac?)

[Stefano Lattarini]

Severity: wishlist

[CC:ing bug-automake so that I won't forget about this issue]

On 08/17/2012 01:04 AM, Jeff Johnston wrote:
> If a configure.ac file is edited and the following added:
> 
> LT_INIT
> AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
>
I think you shouldn't add both, BTW; AC_PROG_LIBTOOL is the
obsolescent name for LT_INIT AFAIK.

> The make can fail when it tries to do an automake and ltmain.sh
> is missing.
>
Note that even "automake --add-missing" wouldn't help you here,
because the ltmain.sh is provided by Libtool, not Automake, and
installed by 'libtoolize', not by 'automake'.

Still, for other, similar use cases (e.g., adding AC_PROG_CC_C_O
or AM_PROG_AR to configure.ac) your request sounds valid.

> How does one set up automake to use the --add-missing parameter
> automatically?
>
Currently, one can't.

> It's not recognized as an option to use with AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE,
>
Well, automake could be enhanced to recognize a "add-missing" option
in AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE too.  This would seem a good idea, but I need to
think about it more carefully, in case there is some a subtle reason
for the current beaviour, and against the proposed enhancement.

> and the generated call to AUTOMAKE in the Makefile does not use
> an option variable that can be set.
>
> Should this be used by default in the Makefile when maintainer
> mode is enabled?
>
I don't understand this question, sorry.  What do you refer to
with "this" here?

> -- Jeff J.
>

Thanks,
  Stefano