Re: Automake and Texinfo: clean the info or pdf file

[Eric Blake]

On 08/31/2010 11:46 AM, Steffen Dettmer wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 7:54 PM, Ralf Wildenhues<address@hidden>  wrote:
> > * YuGiOhJCJ Mailing-List wrote on Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 05:41:40PM CEST:
> > > I work on a project which use automake and include a
> > > documentation in Texinfo format.
> > >
> > > If I call :
> > > $ make
> > > The .info file is built.
> >
> > In the source tree (right?).
> >   And it will be distributed (with 'make dist').
>
> make default target /creates/ files in the source directory?

Yes, in the maintainer's tree.

> But isn't this wrong and verified by making srcdir read-only in
> `make distcheck'?

No, it is not wrong, and yes, it is verified by 'make distcheck'. 
Remember, the key point is that if it is distributed in the tarball, 
then it MUST be made in srcdir (not builddir), and although the 
_maintainer_ may have rules to build it, the _end user_ should not have 
to build it.  'make distcheck' is from the end user's perspective - did 
all the files get included in the tarball, and with appropriate 
timestamps that prevent a rebuild?  A read-only srcdir works in this 
case, because the rules to rebuild the .info files are not run.

> Wouldn't this break things (e.g. in VPATH leading to a .info in
> src and builddir?)?

No - provided that it lives ONLY in the srcdir, then VPATH isn't 
confused.  The confusion happens if you try to stick it in builddir and 
then distribute it.

--
Eric Blake   address@hidden    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org