The configure option '--enable-systemd' is a misnomer, as can be seen from
the GNU Coding Standards
  https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/Configuration.html
and from the Autoconf manual
  
https://www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.73/html_node/Optional-Features.html
  
https://www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.73/html_node/Package-Options.html
  
https://www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.73/html_node/External-Software.html

This patch renames it to '--with-systemd'.

Pàdraig, find attached a proposed patch for coreutils, accordingly.


2026-08-04  Bruno Haible  <[email protected]>

        readutmp: Fix naming of configure option.
        * m4/systemd.m4 (gl_SYSTEMD_CHOICE): Invoke AC_ARG_WITH. Mark
        --enable-systemd as deprecated.

diff --git a/m4/systemd.m4 b/m4/systemd.m4
index dfb74e60fd..a4ed4b1fa7 100644
--- a/m4/systemd.m4
+++ b/m4/systemd.m4
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # systemd.m4
-# serial 3
+# serial 4
 dnl Copyright (C) 2023-2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 dnl This file is free software; the Free Software Foundation
 dnl gives unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it,
@@ -11,10 +11,18 @@
 AC_DEFUN([gl_SYSTEMD_CHOICE],
 [
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use systemd APIs])
+  SYSTEMD_CHOICE=
   AC_ARG_ENABLE([systemd],
-    [  --enable-systemd        use systemd APIs],
+    [  --enable-systemd        same as --with-systemd, deprecated],
     [SYSTEMD_CHOICE="$enableval"],
-    [SYSTEMD_CHOICE=no])
+    [])
+  AC_ARG_WITH([systemd],
+    [  --with-systemd          use systemd APIs],
+    [SYSTEMD_CHOICE="$withval"],
+    [])
+  if test -z "$SYSTEMD_CHOICE"; then
+    SYSTEMD_CHOICE=no
+  fi
   AC_MSG_RESULT([$SYSTEMD_CHOICE])
   AC_SUBST([SYSTEMD_CHOICE])
 ])
>From 8c57ac15059eabea809137d31214b1f88fc22075 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bruno Haible <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2026 16:24:11 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] maint: Document change from --enable-systemd to
 --with-systemd

* DEPENDENCIES: Mention --with-systemd, not --enable-systemd.
* NEWS: Mention the change.
---
 DEPENDENCIES | 2 +-
 NEWS         | 4 ++++
 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/DEPENDENCIES b/DEPENDENCIES
index 375b08d20..b501ffe4a 100644
--- a/DEPENDENCIES
+++ b/DEPENDENCIES
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     Needed for the multi-user programs ('who', 'users', 'pinky', and
     - if built - 'uptime'), so that they can access the database of
     user logins from systemd-logind.
-    Related 'configure' option: --enable-systemd.
+    Related 'configure' option: --with-systemd.
   * Homepage:
     https://systemd.io/
   + Download:
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index a85b0ada9..ae34bab0d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ GNU coreutils NEWS                                    -*- outline -*-
 
 ** Bug fixes
 
+  The configure option '--enable-systemd' is renamed to '--with-systemd'.
+  The option '--enable-systemd' was a misnomer and is now deprecated.
+  [bug introduced in coreutils-9.4]
+
   'chcon', 'chgrp', 'chmod', 'chown', 'du', 'ls' which traverse hierarchies with
   -R,  no longer fail merely because files may be being removed in parallel.
   [This bug was present in "the beginning".]
-- 
2.53.0

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