Remake configure/config.h.in/etc.

[Wayne Davison]

On Mon, 7 May 2001 mouring at etoh.eviladmin.org wrote:
> My only concern is for platforms that lack autoconf tools.  I have a few
> platforms I refuse to install them on because it is "Yet another package
> to maintain".

I don't see this as a problem because under normal circumstances, these
files don't change.  However, if you apply a patch that affects them,
you need to know that your setup is not right without a new configure
file.  I'd prefer to have make fail with the inability to run autoconf,
allowing me to take steps to rectify the situation (I could copy a new
file over from a system that has autoconf, or I could decide that I know
what I'm doing and just touch configure and proceed, or I could even
manually add the appropriate changes to and config.h.in file).  I myself
was bitten by this problem when I upgraded to 2.9p1 -- I simply forgot
to rerun autoconf and autoheader after applying my own patch and I
managed to install a non-working sshd on my test system.  Yes, I knew
exactly what to do to fix the problem, but it was a hassle and it could
have been avoided.

So, if the rules are not run automatically, that means that people can
blissfully continue without knowing that something is amiss, and I
consider that far worse.

..wayne..