* NEWS (Future backward-incompatibilities): Document planned removal
of several superseded and/or obsoleted macros, of the $(mkdir_p)
variable and @mkdir_p@ substitution, and of the support for the
two- or three-arguments invocation forms of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE.
* doc/automake.texi: Likewise.
---
NEWS | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
doc/automake.texi | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------------------
2 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-)
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index b5b184e..e086423 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,32 @@
* WARNING: Future backward-incompatibilities!
+ - The following long-obsolete m4 macros will be removed in the
+ next major Automake version (1.13):
+
+ AM_PROG_CC_STDC: superseded by AC_PROG_CC since October 2002
+ fp_PROG_CC_STDC: broken alias for AM_PROG_CC_STDC
+ fp_WITH_DMALLOC: old alias for AM_WITH_DMALLOC
+ AM_CONFIG_HEADER: superseded by AC_CONFIG_HEADERS since July 2002
+ ud_PATH_LISPDIR: old alias for AM_PATH_LISPDIR
+ jm_MAINTAINER_MODE: old alias for AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
+ ud_GNU_GETTEXT: old alias for AM_GNU_GETTEXT
+ gm_PROG_LIBTOOL: old alias for AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
+ fp_C_PROTOTYPES: old alias for AM_C_PROTOTYPES (which was part
+ of the now-removed automatic de-ANSI-fication
+ support of Automake)
+
+ - All the "old alias" macros in 'm4/obsolete.m4' will be removed in
+ the next major Automake version (1.13).
+
+ - Support for the two- and three-arguments invocation forms of the
+ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE macro will be deprecated in the next minor version
+ of Automake (1.12.1) and removed in the next major version (1.13).
+
+ - The long-obsolete (since 1.10) automake-provided $(mkdir_p) make
+ variable, @mkdir_p@ substitution and AM_PROG_MKDIR m4 macro will
+ all be deprecated in the next minor version of Automake (1.12.1)
+ and removed in the next major version (1.13).
+
- The '--acdir' option of aclocal is deprecated, and will probably
be removed in the next major Automake release (1.13). You should
use the options '--automake-acdir' and '--system-acdir' instead
diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index c9e149d..8dcbc18 100644
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ Auto-generating aclocal.m4
Autoconf macros supplied with Automake
* Public Macros:: Macros that you can use.
-* Obsolete Macros:: Macros that you should stop using.
+* Obsolete Macros:: Macros that will soon be removed.
* Private Macros:: Macros that you should not use.
Directories
@@ -3918,7 +3918,7 @@ Automake ships with several Autoconf macros that you can
use from your
@menu
* Public Macros:: Macros that you can use.
-* Obsolete Macros:: Macros that you should stop using.
+* Obsolete Macros:: Macros that will soon be removed.
* Private Macros:: Macros that you should not use.
@end menu
@@ -3930,23 +3930,23 @@ Automake ships with several Autoconf macros that you
can use from your
@table @code
@item AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([OPTIONS])
-@itemx AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(PACKAGE, VERSION, [NO-DEFINE])
@acindex AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
Runs many macros required for proper operation of the generated Makefiles.
@vindex AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS
-This macro has two forms, the first of which is preferred.
-In this form, @code{AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE} is called with a
-single argument: a space-separated list of Automake options that should
+Today, @code{AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE} is called with a single argument: a
+space-separated list of Automake options that should
be applied to every @file{Makefile.am} in the tree. The effect is as if
each option were listed in @code{AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS} (@pxref{Options}).
@acindex AC_INIT
-The second, deprecated, form of @code{AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE} has two required
-arguments: the package and the version number. This form is
-obsolete because the @var{package} and @var{version} can be obtained
-from Autoconf's @code{AC_INIT} macro (which itself has an old and a new
-form).
+This macro can also be called in @emph{another, deprecated form} (support
+for which will be @emph{removed in the next major Automake release}):
+@code{AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(PACKAGE, VERSION, [NO-DEFINE])}. In this form,
+there are two required arguments: the package and the version number.
+This form is obsolete because the @var{package} and @var{version} can
+be obtained from Autoconf's @code{AC_INIT} macro (which itself has an
+old and a new form).
If your @file{configure.ac} has:
@@ -3956,7 +3956,7 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([mumble], [1.5])
@end example
@noindent
-you can modernize it as follows:
+you should modernize it as follows:
@example
AC_INIT([mumble], [1.5])
@@ -3981,11 +3981,10 @@ explicitly).
@opindex no-define
By default this macro @code{AC_DEFINE}'s @code{PACKAGE} and
@code{VERSION}. This can be avoided by passing the @option{no-define}
-option, as in:
+option:
@example
AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([gnits 1.5 no-define dist-bzip2])
@end example
-or by passing a third non-empty argument to the obsolete form.
@item AM_PATH_LISPDIR
@acindex AM_PATH_LISPDIR
@@ -4079,11 +4078,13 @@ define @code{WITH_DMALLOC} and add @option{-ldmalloc}
to @code{LIBS}.
@cindex autoupdate
Although using some of the following macros was required in past
-releases, you should not use any of them in new code. Running
-@command{autoupdate} should adjust your @file{configure.ac}
-automatically (@pxref{autoupdate Invocation, , Using
-@command{autoupdate} to Modernize @file{configure.ac}, autoconf, The
-Autoconf Manual}).
+releases, you should not use any of them in new code. @emph{All
+these macros will be removed in the next major Automake version};
+if you are still using them, running @command{autoupdate} should
+adjust your @file{configure.ac} automatically (@pxref{autoupdate
+Invocation, , Using @command{autoupdate} to Modernize
+@file{configure.ac}, autoconf, The Autoconf Manual}).
+@emph{Do it NOW!}
@table @code
@@ -4113,19 +4114,12 @@ variable @code{mkdir_p} to one of @code{mkdir -p},
@code{install-sh
Nowadays Autoconf provides a similar functionality with
@code{AC_PROG_MKDIR_P} (@pxref{Particular Programs, , Particular
Program Checks, autoconf, The Autoconf Manual}), however this defines
-the output variable @code{MKDIR_P} instead. Therefore
-@code{AM_PROG_MKDIR_P} has been rewritten as a thin wrapper around
-@code{AC_PROG_MKDIR_P} to define @code{mkdir_p} to the same value as
-@code{MKDIR_P} for backward compatibility.
-
-If you are using Automake, there is normally no reason to call this
-macro, because @code{AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE} already does so. However, make
-sure that the custom rules in your @file{Makefile}s use
-@code{$(MKDIR_P)} and not @code{$(mkdir_p)}. Even if both variables
-still work, the latter should be considered obsolete.
-
-If you are not using Automake, please call @code{AC_PROG_MKDIR_P}
-instead of @code{AM_PROG_MKDIR_P}.
+the output variable @code{MKDIR_P} instead. In case you are still
+using the @code{AM_PROG_MKDIR_P} macro in your @file{configure.ac},
+or its provided variable @code{$(mkdir_p)} in your @file{Makefile.am},
+you are advised to switch ASAP to the more modern Autoconf-provided
+interface instead; both the macro and the variable @emph{will be
+removed} in the next major Automake release.
@item AM_SYS_POSIX_TERMIOS
@acindex AM_SYS_POSIX_TERMIOS
--
1.7.9
