Re: `automake` error

[Gavin Smith]

On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 06:30:36PM +0000, Werner LEMBERG wrote:
>
> [5605c12a99493289acb39938f029a2db1cebc5bd]
>
>
> After saying `./autogen.sh` I see
>
> ```
> automake: error: cannot open < doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi: No such file or directo
+ry
> ```
>

The build works for me for some reason but that file exists for me.
tp_api.texi is a generated file.

> Continuing with `./configure` I see the follow-up error
>
> ```
> config.status: error: cannot find input file: `doc/tp_api/Makefile.in'
> ```

It looks like automake couldn't generate that file because of the missing
tp_api.texi.

I tried deleting doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi and running automake again.  I
got exactly the same error you did.

$ automake
automake: error: cannot open < doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi: No such file or directory
+
$ touch doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi
$ automake
doc/tp_api/Makefile.am: error: 'doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi' missing @setfilename
$ automake --version
automake (GNU automake) 1.16.1
Copyright (C) 2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
[...]

(Annoying as I thought automake had been changed not to require @setfilename,
but this must be an old version - I recently changed computer so am using
the distribution default.)

The following works:

$ printf '@setfilename goaway\n' >doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi
$ automake
doc/tp_api/tp_api.texi:1: warning: use of suffix-less info files is discouraged
$

The problem is because automake is being too clever and trying to scan
the Texinfo files.

I'm going to try upgrading automake and see what happens.


> Still continuing, `make` immediately fails with
>
> ```
> make  all-recursive
> make[1]: Entering directory '/home/wl/git/texinfo.compiled'
> Making all in gnulib/lib
> make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wl/git/texinfo.compiled/gnulib/lib'
> make[2]: *** No rule to make target 'all'.  Stop.
> make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wl/git/texinfo.compiled/gnulib/lib'
> make[1]: *** [Makefile:1489: all-recursive] Error 1
> make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/wl/git/texinfo.compiled'
> make: *** [Makefile:1428: all] Error 2
> ```

I guess that the Makefiles under the gnulib directory will be generated
correctly once the issue with doc/tp_api is resolved.