configure.in often specifies an automake version

[Jay G. Scott]

i have run across, on several occasions, some package or other
that wants automake or autoconf or something, and the configure
script will test for a specific version __by name__.  ie,
let's say it's automake 1.4 that's wanted.

automake-{am_api_version} --version

will be in the configure script, when, IMHO, all it
really needs to do is:

automake --version

now, i freely grant that checking to see whether 1.7.5 is later
than 1.4 is more involved than checking to see whether automake-1.4
will run.  i'd rather have my binaries installed as
        binary
as opposed to:
        binary-version                  # considered yucky

yeah, yeah, i know.  there's lots of ways to work around it.
as it happens, the thing i was installing doesn't actually use
automake.  what i object to is the configure script complaining
about stuff that's okay.

i couldn't find a place where the version of automake was set.
(configure.in?) do i not know where to look?

if autoconf is generating the automake-{am_api_version} line,
is there a way to have it leave off the am_api_version biz?
is there any sympathy for the idea of doing the needed
(involved) checking of the returned version from
        whatever --version
against a {minimum required version}?

i'm a newbie, obviously.  i did look at the docs, if it's
there i didn't catch it.

j.


-- 
Jay Scott               512-835-3553            address@hidden
Head of Sun Support, Sr. Operating Systems Specialist
Applied Research Labs, Computer Science Div.                   S224
University of Texas at Austin