[rrd-developers] build tool-chain updates (was: 1.4rc1 announcement)

[kevin brintnall]

> * switched to using automake 1.11 which provides a 'silent' build process,
>   causing errors and warnings to stand out much more than before.
>   by Tobi Oetiker

Tobi,

Are all these version upgrades necessary?  I think we should only insist
on the minimum version required to correctly build the software.

-LIBTOOL_VER="1.5.6"
+LIBTOOL_VER="2.2.6"

1.5.6 continues to build rrdtool correctly on my system...

-AUTOMAKE_VER="1.9.2"
+AUTOMAKE_VER="1.11"

The new version is only 3 weeks old.. unlikely to be picked up by
packagers.  I can still build correctly under 1.9.2.

-AUTOCONF_VER="2.59"
+AUTOCONF_VER="2.63"

I like 'AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS', available since 2.60.  But, everything
still builds correctly on 2.60.  Is it worth forcing this feature or can
we conditionally enable it?

If there are other reasons that make the forced upgrade worthwhile, can
you elaborate?

What do you think about the enclosed patch?

 - returns prerequisite versions to "minimum required"
 - move AC_PREREQ() macro to the start of processing
 - conditionally enables "silent" mode on autoconf 2.63 and greater.
 - conditionally enables AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS

-- 
 kevin brintnall =~ /kbrint at rufus.net/

-----------------------------------------------------------------

diff --git a/MakeMakefile b/MakeMakefile
index ab2a275..90e4700 100755
--- a/MakeMakefile
+++ b/MakeMakefile
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ PERL
 }
 
 ERROR=0
-LIBTOOL_VER="2.2.6"
-AUTOMAKE_VER="1.11"
-AUTOCONF_VER="2.63"
+LIBTOOL_VER="1.5.6"
+AUTOMAKE_VER="1.9.2"
+AUTOCONF_VER="2.59"
 
 if vcheck $LIBTOOL_VER "libtool --version"
 then
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index dc81646..2f4be2c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ dnl Inspiration from http://autoconf-archive.cryp.to
  
 dnl tell automake the this script is for rrdtool
 
+dnl Minimum Autoconf version required.
+AC_PREREQ(2.59)
+
 dnl the official version number is
 dnl a.b.c
 AC_INIT([rrdtool],[1.3.999])
@@ -32,10 +35,10 @@ LIBVERS=5:0:1
 AC_SUBST(LIBVERS)
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
-AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([silent-rules])
+m4_version_prereq(2.60, [AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS], [#])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(m4_version_prereq(2.63, [silent-rules], [[]]))
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
-AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
+m4_version_prereq(2.63, [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])], [#])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([rrd_config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
@@ -49,9 +52,6 @@ AC_SUBST(VERSION)
 
 AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT( /usr/local/rrdtool-$PACKAGE_VERSION )
 
-dnl Minimum Autoconf version required.
-AC_PREREQ(2.59)
-
 dnl At the TOP of the HEADER
 
 AH_TOP([