* m4/mkdirp.m4 (AM_PROG_MKDIR_P): Remove `.' from the mkdir_p

definition, it causes `make install' to fails for user with no
right to write in the source-tree.
* automake.in (handle_configure): Do not use mkdir_p in the
definition for $(mkdir_p).
Report from Harlan Stenn.

1 files changed, 14 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/m4/mkdirp.m4 b/m4/mkdirp.m4
index 361d20cfd..5541b03aa 100644
--- a/m4/mkdirp.m4
+++ b/m4/mkdirp.m4
@@ -39,13 +39,21 @@
 # this.)
 AC_DEFUN([AM_PROG_MKDIR_P],
 [if mkdir -p --version . >/dev/null 2>&1 && test ! -d ./--version; then
-  # Keeping the `.' argument allows $(mkdir_p) to be used without
-  # argument.  Indeed, we sometimes output rules like
+  # We used to keeping the `.' as first argument, in order to
+  # allow $(mkdir_p) to be used without argument.  As in
   #   $(mkdir_p) $(somedir)
-  # where $(somedir) is conditionally defined.
-  # (`test -n '$(somedir)' && $(mkdir_p) $(somedir)' is a more
-  # expensive solution, as it forces Make to start a sub-shell.)
-  mkdir_p='mkdir -p -- .'
+  # where $(somedir) is conditionally defined.  However this is wrong
+  # for two reasons:
+  #  1. if the package is installed by a user who cannot write `.'
+  #     make install will fail,
+  #  2. the above comment should most certainly read
+  #     $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(somedir)
+  #     so it does not work when $(somedir) is undefined and
+  #     $(DESTDIR) is not.
+  #  To support the latter case, we have to write
+  #     test -z "$(somedir)" || $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(somedir),
+  #  so the `.' trick is pointless.
+  mkdir_p='mkdir -p --'
 else
   # On NextStep and OpenStep, the `mkdir' command does not
   # recognize any option.  It will interpret all options as