Re: Problem with building .info files?

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello Paul,

* Paul D. Smith wrote on Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 11:30:12PM CET:
> The rule for building .info files from .texi files looks incorrect to me:
> 
>   .texinfo.info:
>       restore=: && backupdir="$(am__leading_dot)am$$$$" && \
>       am__cwd=`pwd` && cd $(srcdir) && \
>       rm -rf $$backupdir && mkdir $$backupdir && \
>         [...]
> 
> It seems to me that cd'ing into $(srcdir) and mucking around in there
> is inappropriate: what if the source tree is on some read-only media,
> or we don't have write privs to it, or whatever?

Then presumably the .info file which was also shipped on the media is up
to date, no?  If not: even if the backupdir is put in the build tree,
storing the possibly-updated .info file in the source tree will fail
later.

Quoting Automake 1.8 NEWS:
|  - Update .info files in the source tree, not in the build tree.  This
|    is what the GNU Coding Standard recommend.  Only Automake 1.7.x
|    used to update these files in the build tree (previous versions did
|    it in the source tree too), and it caused several problems, varying
|    from mere annoyance to portability issues.

Cheers,
Ralf