Re: gnulib-izing sharutils

[Bruno Haible]

> >>> Notice from module error:
> >>>   If you are using GNU gettext version 0.16.1 or older, add the following 
> >>> options
> >>>   to XGETTEXT_OPTIONS in your po/Makevars:
> >>>     --flag=error:3:c-format --flag=error_at_line:5:c-format
> > 
> > It cannot be easily suppressed, because gnulib-tool is run before the
> > gettext macros are collected by 'aclocal'.
> > 
> > Would it remove the confusion if I would add the following sentence to the
> > notice?
> > 
> >    "If you are using GNU gettext version 0.17 or newer, you can ignore this
> >     notice."
> 
> I did figure that much out.  At issue is whether this is strictly relevant
> for the tool manufacturer (e.g. "me" for sharutils), or the builder
> (the aforementioned "hapless builder of sharutils").

Ah, I see. The version that matters is the one of the GNU gettext macros that
will be used. Therefore `gettext --version` is irrelevant; what matters is
what 'aclocal' will fetch later. How would you like the notice to be
formulated?

> The gnulib (and autoconf!!) need a manual section that
> categorizes the various macros and specifies the proper ordering of the
> categories.

The autoconf manual has such a section: Node "Autoconf Input Layout".

> and I still see the warning: configure.ac:22: warning: The macro 
> `AC_GNU_SOURCE' is obsolete.

Needs more analysis.

> The whole thing ends with this:
> > configure: creating ./config.status
> > config.status: creating src/remsync
> > config.status: creating src/compress-dummy
> > config.status: creating contrib/Makefile
> > config.status: creating doc/Makefile
> > config.status: creating intl/Makefile
> > config.status: creating lib/Makefile
> > config.status: creating po/Makefile.in
> > config.status: creating src/Makefile
> > config.status: creating src/mail-files
> > config.status: creating src/mailshar
> > config.status: creating tests/Makefile
> > config.status: error: cannot find input file: `Makefile.in

Uh oh. Looks like some major syntax mistake in the generated configure file.
You should review your configure.ac and all your own *.m4 macros for proper
m4 quoting and shell quoting. Usually the way to find this kind of mistake
is by temporarily removing lots of stuff from configure.ac, until the error
goes away.

Bruno