Re: autoconf test ': >emtpy' problem under Ultrix

[Jim Meyering]

Akim Demaille <address@hidden> wrote:

| >>>>> "Peter" == Peter Eisentraut <address@hidden> writes:
|
| Peter> Alexandre Oliva writes:
| >> Anyway, automake uses `echo timestamp > file', instead of touch,
| >> and I've always thought the reason was to avoid having an empty
| >> file.
|
| Peter> The reason (which is documented somewhere in the auto* manuals)
|
| I don't know where.
|
| Peter> is that on some (BSD?) systems a 'touch' of an empty file
| Peter> doesn't update the time stamp.  So in a way, yes, you're
| Peter> avoiding empty files, but it is only necessary in 'make'
| Peter> context.
|
| If someone could specify an actual system like this, I'd be happy to
| update autoconf.texi.

Ok :-)
>From fileutils/tests/touch/empty-file:

  # Make sure touch can set the mtime on an empty file.
  # Volker Borchert reported that touch 3.16r (and presumably all before that)
  # fails to work on SunOS 4.1.3 with `most of the recommended patches' when
  # the empty file is on an NFS-mounted 4.2 volume.

Thanks again, Volker.