compile: use 'compile' script when "-c -o" is used with losing compilers

Do so seen when only source files in the "current" directory are present.

This commit is part of a series of related changes addressing automake
bug#13378 (see also the plan 'PLANS/subdir-objects.txt').

Before this change, Automake-generated C compilation rules mistakenly
passed the "-c -o" options combination unconditionally (even to losing
compiler) when the 'subdir-objects' was used but sources were only
present in the top-level directory.  Issue spotted by Nick Bowler:

  <http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=13378#35>
  <http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=13378#44>

We fix this by having Automake redefine AC_PROG_CC to take over the role
of AM_PROG_CC_C_O and to require the 'compile' script unconditionally
(albeit that will continue to be invoked only when inferior compilers
are detected).

Among other things, this means AM_PROG_CC_C_O explicitly is no longer
required; that macro is still supported for backward-compatibility, but
calling it is basically a no-op now.

This change has some pros and some cons (obviously, we believe the former
outweighs the latter).  Here are the most relevant ones:

+ Pros 1:
  Some logic in the Automake script has been simplified.
+ Pros 2:
  That simplification has automatically fixed an actual bug (see
  Nick's mails referenced above; admittedly, that was present only in
  corner-case situations, but still); the test 't/ccnoco4.sh', which
  demonstrated the bug and has been failing so far, now passes.
+ Pros 3:
  Things works more "automagically" now (no need to manually add the
  AM_PROG_CC_C_O macro to configure.ac anymore).

* Cons 1:
  The 'compile' script will be required in all projects using C
  compilation; this will only be a problem for packages not using
  '--add-missing'.  However, such packages are definitely more rare
  than the ones using '--add-missing', and adjusting them will be
  trivial -- just copy the compile script over from the new Automake
  installation.
* Cons 2:
  The copy & paste of autoconf internals hack this change has introduced
  in our "rewrite" of AC_PROG_CC is really an egregious abomination.  It
  can only be justified with the fact that we expect future versions of
  autoconf to implement the semantics we need directly in AC_PROG_CC, so
  that we'll be able to leverage that (since Automake 1.14 will require
  the latest Autoconf version released).

Now, the detailed list of file-by-file changes ...

* automake.in ($seen_cc_c_o): Remove this global variable.
(scan_autoconf_traces): Don't set it, and do not trace the
'AM_PROG_CC_C_O' m4 macro.
(lang_c_rewrite): Remove, no longer needed.
* doc/automake.texi: Adjust expected "autoreconf --install" output
in the amhello example.  Remove statements about the need for the
AM_PROG_CC_C_O macro.  Report it is obsolete now.
* m4/init.m4: Re-write AC_PROG_CC to append checks about whether the
C compiler supports "-c -o" together.  These checks have basically
been ripped out (with adaptations) from the 'AC_PROG_CC_C_O' macro
of Autoconf and ...
* m4/minuso.m4 (AM_PROG_CC_C_O): ... this macro of ours, which has
thus basically become a no-op.
* t/ax/am-test-lib.sh (am_setup_testdir): Also copy the 'compile'
script in the test directory; if we don't do so, every test using
AC_PROG_CC should call automake with the "--add-missing" option, or
copy the 'compile' script itself.
* t/cond11.sh: No need to create a dummy 'compile' script: that is
already brought in by 'am_setup_testdir()', that is automatically
invoked when 'test-lib.sh' is sourced.
* t/add-missing.tap: Adjust: we expect the 'compile' script to be
required by a mere AC_PROG_CC call now.
* t/dist-auxdir-many-subdirs.sh: Likewise.
* t/specflg6.sh: Likewise.
* t/subobj4.sh: Likewise.
* t/cxx-lt-demo.sh: Likewise, and update comments to match.
* t/distcom2.sh: Enhance a little.
* t/dollarvar2.sh: Adjust.
* t/extra-portability.sh: Likewise.
* t/libobj19.sh: Likewise.
* t/per-target-flags.sh: Likewise.
* t/repeated-options.sh: Likewise.
* t/subobj.sh: Likewise, and enhance a little.
* t/ccnoco2.sh: Remove as obsolete.
* t/list-of-tests.mk (handwritten_TESTS): Adjust.
(XFAIL_TESTS): Remove 't/ccnoco4.sh'.
* NEWS: Update.

Signed-off-by: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini@gmail.com>

1 files changed, 6 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/t/extra-portability.sh b/t/extra-portability.sh
index 94dd799e2..1ea23ad75 100755
--- a/t/extra-portability.sh
+++ b/t/extra-portability.sh
@@ -62,30 +62,29 @@ $AUTOMAKE -Wall -Wno-portability
 # Now, a setup where also a "simple" portability warning is present.
 #
 
-# Per-target flags require the use of AM_PROG_CC_C_O in configure.ac.
-echo libfoo_a_CPPFLAGS = -Dwhatever >> Makefile.am
+echo 'var = $(foo--bar)' >> Makefile.am
 
 # Enabling extra-portability enables portability as well ...
 AUTOMAKE_fails -Wextra-portability
-grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_CC_C_O' stderr
+grep 'foo--bar' stderr
 grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_AR' stderr
 # ... even if it had been previously disabled.
 AUTOMAKE_fails -Wno-portability -Wextra-portability
-grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_CC_C_O' stderr
+grep 'foo--bar' stderr
 grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_AR' stderr
 
 # Disabling extra-portability leaves portability intact (1).
 AUTOMAKE_fails -Wportability -Wno-extra-portability
-grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_CC_C_O' stderr
+grep 'foo--bar' stderr
 grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_AR' stderr && exit 1
 # Disabling extra-portability leaves portability intact (2).
 AUTOMAKE_fails -Wall -Wno-extra-portability
-grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_CC_C_O' stderr
+grep 'foo--bar' stderr
 grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_AR' stderr && exit 1
 
 # Enabling portability does not enable extra-portability.
 AUTOMAKE_fails -Wportability
-grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_CC_C_O' stderr
+grep 'foo--bar' stderr
 grep 'requires.*AM_PROG_AR' stderr && exit 1
 
 # Disabling portability disables extra-portability.