Automake-1.6.1 vs. AC_LIBOBJ with separate source file

[Christian Cornelssen]

Dear Automake maintainers,
dear Autoconf maintainers,

Autoconf-2.53 is very picky about LIBOBJS, so I am looking for a
proper way of using macros.  When I put

        AC_LIBOBJ(random)

into my `acinclude.m4', then Automake expects to find `random.c' in
the subdirectory containing the `Makefile.am' that uses $(LIBOBJS).
But `random.c' is in another directory, which is properly specified in
an EXTRA_xxx_SOURCES variable (and this works). Despite this, Automake
now issues a diagnostic about a missing file `random.c'.

To work around that message, I might be able to use AC_LIBSOURCE and
call AC_LIBOBJ with a seemingly variable argument, but that method is
discouraged.

IMHO Automake should examine EXTRA_xxx_SOURCES before checking for the
existence of `random.c'.

By the way, AC_LIBSOURCE (or some other macro) should allow a
specification relative to ${top_builddir}, because $(LIBOBJS) might
be used in several `Makefile.am's which would otherwise disagree about
relative pathnames.

Best regards,

Christian Cornelssen