Shouldn't ./configure check for its presence if it's going to be used? It is not needed by users installing from a release. It is only needed by people installing from the development sources, who, yes, are expected to have the current versions of GNU tools installed (./README-hacking). Although, as you've seen, you can make it work with other versions. So fine, be happy :).
I don't see a way to check for such things that is a substantive improvement over the missing script. I think it's unwarranted to add more complications in configure about "is this a source build vs. a release build" merely for the sake of a different warning. karl
