Re: AM_PROG_MKDIR, gettext, and automake

[Stefano Lattarini]

Hi Karl.

On 11/23/2012 02:17 AM, Karl Berry wrote:
>       - The long-obsolete (since automake 1.10) AM_PROG_MKDIR m4 macro will
>       next major Automake version (1.13):
>
Actually, this is no longer true.  See below.

> Yes, well, speaking of AM_PROG_MKDIR.  We don't use it explicitly in
> Texinfo.  But I get the warning about it every time I rerun
> automake, because our configure.ac includes the usual line:
> 
> AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
> 
> The result of that line is:
> configure.ac:260: warning: The 'AM_PROG_MKDIR_P' macro is deprecated, and 
> will soon be removed.
> configure.ac:260: You should use the Autoconf-provided 'AC_PROG_MKDIR_P' 
> macro instead,
> configure.ac:260: and use '$(MKDIR_P)' instead of '$(mkdir_p)'in your 
> Makefile.am files.
> 
> (which is quite annoying, since it's not under my control, but anyway.)
> 
> I have the latest official release of gettext, 0.18.1.1 (although
> unfortunately gettext --version evidently drops the final .1).
> Also of automake, 1.12.5.
> 
> I see that Jim discovered this back in July:
>   http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake/2012-07/msg00014.html
> but I'm afraid I cannot discern what the resolution was.
>
I agreed with Jim that we should delay the removal of AM_PROG_MKDIR to
Automake 1.14.  And that has been done with this patch by Jim:

  <http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/automake.git/commit/?id=df23dafc>

So, in Automake 1.13, we'll have just a warning (as now).  But AM_PROG_MKDIR
will be gone in Automake 1.14.

> For that matter, I can't see how there can be any good resolution until
> there is a new gettext release.  Was the problem reported there?
>
Yes, three times actually (two of them by me, with patches):

  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gettext/2012-04/msg00018.html>
  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gettext/2012-06/msg00012.html>
  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gettext/2012-10/msg00001.html>

> I didn't see it in the various archives.
>
See above.

> At any rate, also unfortunately, as gettext is now looking for a
> maintainer (as I just posted,
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gettext/2012-11/msg00002.html),
> a new release might be quite some time coming in any case.
> 
> Meanwhile, it seems like it would be a tremendous, and unnecessary,
> headache if there was an Automake release that removed a macro that
> the current release of gettext requires.
> 
> But I guess we can wait and see whether the next gettext or
> automake 1.13 is ready first ...
>
Actually, Automake 1.14 -- which gives more hope.  If gettext is still
using AM_PROG_MKDIR_P by then, projects using Automake 1.14 will have
to add a definition like:

    AC_DEFUN([AM_PROG_MKDIR_P], [AC_PROG_MKDIR_P])

in their 'configure.ac' (or in their local *.m4 files).

Regards,
  Stefano