Bug#213524: automake: serious breakage with new install-info behaviour

[Alexandre Duret-Lutz <aduret@src.lip6.fr>]

>>> "Santiago" == Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es> writes:

[...]

 Santiago> As a result, this code in /usr/share/automake-1.7/am/texinfos.am
 Santiago> does not work as expected anymore:

 Santiago> ## Only run this code if install-info actually exists, and it is not
 Santiago> ## the Debian install-info.  FIXME: once Debian install-info goes
 Santiago> ## away, we can remove this hack.  Debian install-info v1.8.3
 Santiago> ## prints version info to stderr.
 Santiago> ##
 Santiago> ## Do not use
 Santiago> ##    install-info --version 2>&1 | sed 1q | grep -s -v -i debian
 Santiago> ## as if install-info does not exist, grep -v will be happy, and
 Santiago> ## therefore the code will be triggered although install-info is missing.
 Santiago> @if (install-info --version && \
 Santiago>      install-info --version | grep -i -v debian) >/dev/null 2>&1; 

As the comment implies this code used to read

  install-info --version 2>&1 | sed 1q | grep -s -v -i debian

but the `2>&1 | sed 1q' part was mistakenly (I think) removed in
Automake 1.5.  My understanding (from the bug reports you
mentioned) is that this code worked either because install-info
output its version on stderr, or because it was simply not in
the PATH.

I've just released Automake 1.7.8 which reintroduces 
`2>&1 | sed 1q' in order to be insensible to where version is output, 
but I'm afraid it won't help you very much since you'll still
have to face packages produced with versions of Automake between
1.5 and 1.7.7 :(
-- 
Alexandre Duret-Lutz