Using $< in a non-suffix rule context is a GNUmake idiom (line 484 of Makefile)

[devnullius @gmail]

Compiling autoconf-2.59 fails:
 Using $< in a non-suffix rule context is a GNUmake idiom (line 484 of
Makefile)
*** Error code 1

Stop in /usr/src/voor-samba3/autoconf-2.59 (line 238 of Makefile).

 I found the following discussion:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf/2004-03/msg00037.html

It appears to have the following patch:

RCS file: /cvsroot/autoconf/cvsroot/autoconf/autoconf/bin/Makefile.am,v
retrieving revision 1.17
retrieving revision 1.18
diff -u -r1.17 -r1.18
--- autoconf/autoconf/bin/Makefile.am 2004/02/18 21:34:44 1.17
+++ autoconf/autoconf/bin/Makefile.am 2004/03/03 21:40:46 1.18
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
-e 's,@AWK\@,$(AWK),g' \
-e 's,@VERSION\@,$(VERSION),g' \
-e 's,@PACKAGE_NAME\@,$(PACKAGE_NAME),g' \
- -e 's,@configure_input\@,Generated from $<; do not edit by hand.,g'
+ -e 's,@configure_input\@,Generated from
address@hidden<http://lists.gnu.org/spam.html>;
do not edit by
hand.,g'

# autoconf is written in M4sh.
AUTOM4SH = $(top_builddir)/tests/autom4te --language M4sh --cache ''

---> Question: how can I install this (diff?)-file?

----> Question: if I do not have nor want to install CVS, how can I patch my
system then?

 Thanx!

 Devvie Nuis