Re: suggestions about AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hi Lorenzo,

* Lorenzo Bettini wrote on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 09:20:05AM CEST:
> Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
>> * Lorenzo Bettini wrote on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 08:15:01PM CEST:
>>
>>> Yes I know, and these are those files; I was thinking of distributing 
>>>  since my macro (for my library) relies on boost regex, so I wanted 
>>> to  check also for boost regex library inside my macro
>>
>> You are correct in that you should have those files in your source tree,
>> and it is fine if you distribute them in your package tarballs, but
>> since your package is not the principal owner of these macro files, you
>> should not *install* them.  That's the crucial difference.
>>
>> So, instead of the two lines quoted above, it would be ok to write
>>   EXTRA_DIST = ax_boost_base.m4 ax_boost_regex.m4
>>
>> However, in case you are using these macros in your configure.ac anyway,
>> then automake will already take care of adding them to your distribution
>> tarball anyway, even without the EXTRA_DIST line.

> but if I don't install them, then the users that want to use my macro  
> will have to get the additional files themselves, and that would make my  
> macro for my library useless at that point, wouldn't it?

In what way is that different from installed third-party header files?
You wouldn't install them with your package either, but still require
their presence on your users' systems.

Cheers,
Ralf