Bug#257026: apache: build fails(configure) on stable due to broken echo

[Emiel van Laar <emiel@il.fontys.nl>]

Package: apache
Version: 1.3.26-0woody5
Severity: important

I am unable to build apache-1.3.26 on Debian woody.

emiel@charm:~/tmp/apache-1.3.26/build-tree/apache_1.3.26> ./configure --prefix=/tmp
Configuring for Apache, Version 1.3.26
 + Warning: Your 'echo' command is slightly broken.
 + It interprets escape sequences per default. We already
 + tried 'echo -E' but had no real success. If errors occur
 + please set the SEO variable in 'configure' manually to
 + the required 'echo' options, i.e. those which force your
 + 'echo' to not interpret escape sequences per default.
 + using installation path layout: Apache (config.layout)
Creating Makefile
Creating Configuration.apaci in src
Syntax error --- The configuration file is used only to
define the list of included modules or to set Makefile in src
options or Configure rules, and I don't see that at all:
 `$(SRCDIR)/apaci`
no
default
default
no
no
no
yes
no
default
no
default
default

The following section of the configure script causes the problem.
I have tried with EO='-e' but nothing gives.

EO='' # CHANGE THIS VARIABLE HERE IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ECHO!
bytes=`echo $SEO '\1' | wc -c | awk '{ printf("%s", $1); }'`
if [ "x$bytes" != "x3" ]; then
    bytes=`echo -E '\1' | wc -c | awk '{ printf("%s", $1); }'`
    if [ "x$bytes" != "x3" ]; then
        echo " + Warning: Your 'echo' command is slightly broken."
        echo " + It interprets escape sequences per default. We already"
        echo " + tried 'echo -E' but had no real success. If errors occur"
        echo " + please set the SEO variable in 'configure' manually to"
        echo " + the required 'echo' options, i.e. those which force your"
        echo " + 'echo' to not interpret escape sequences per default."
    else
        SEO='-E'
    fi
fi

I need this to build on Debian woody.

Extra info: 

emiel@charm:~> dpkg -s shellutils
Package: shellutils
Essential: yes
Status: install ok installed
Priority: required
Section: base
Installed-Size: 1840
Maintainer: Michael Stone <mstone@debian.org>
Version: 2.0.11-11
Replaces: bsdutils (<= 3.0-2), util-linux (<< 2.9e-0.1)
Pre-Depends: libc6 (>= 2.2.3-7), login | hurd
Conflicts: login (<< 19990827-1)
Description: The GNU shell programming utilities.
 The utilities: basename chroot date dirname echo env expr factor false groups
 hostid id logname nice nohup pathchk pinky printenv printf pwd seq sleep stty
 tee test true tty uname users who whoami yes.

-- System Information
Debian Release: 3.0
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux charm 2.4.25 #1 Thu Apr 1 15:39:01 CEST 2004 i686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C

Versions of packages apache depends on:
ii  apache-common             1.3.26-0woody5 Support files for all Apache webse
ii  dpkg                      1.9.21         Package maintenance system for Deb
ii  libc6                     2.2.5-11.5     GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii  libdb2                    2:2.7.7.0-7    The Berkeley database routines (ru
ii  libexpat1                 1.95.2-6       XML parsing C library - runtime li
ii  logrotate                 3.5.9-8        Log rotation utility
ii  mime-support              3.18-1.3       MIME files 'mime.types' & 'mailcap
ii  perl                      5.6.1-8.7      Larry Wall's Practical Extraction 
ii  perl [perl5]              5.6.1-8.7      Larry Wall's Practical Extraction