config.{sub,guess} proposal

[Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com>]

Hi,

While doing the ARM port, we've run into the situation where the
config.guess and config.sub files that ship with many source packages
are really old, and do not support the latest architecture string.

Part of the problem is that autoconf, automake, libtool, dejagnu and
other tools each provide their own versions of these files.  As a
result, they get out-of-date and out-of-sync as the source packages
age.

I did some research, and it turns out that master copy of these files
are being kept in CVS as part of autoconf:

  http://sourceware.cygnus.com/autoconf/

What I'd like to package these common files seperately, in an
autoconf-common package. Packages which use these files (autoconf,
automake, libtool, dejagnu) would depend upon autoconf-common, and
symlink to the files.

The autoconf-common package could then be independently updated as
needed from the files in the CVS.

Per Bothner <bothner@cygnus.com> seemed to think that it was a good
idea.  He suggested that we include:

  config.guess
  config.sub
  install-sh
  missing
  mdate-sh
  mkinstalldirs

What does everybody think?  It's a pretty simple change to make, and
would only improve the situation.  I'm willing to maintain the
package, and make NMUs if necessary.

Cheers,

 - Jim