docs: improve 'dist-hook' documentation

* doc/automake.texi (The dist Hook): Explicitly document the fact
that the dist-hook should account for the case where the source
tree is read-only, mostly for the benefit of distcheck.  Since
we are at it, do some minor unrelated rewordings, and remove
obsolescent advice.  Motivated by the discussion on automake
bug#10878.
* tests/disthook.test: New test.
* tests/disthook-perms.test: Delete as obsolete.
* tests/list-of-tests.mk: Adjust.

diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index c2c2a21c93fcd1ef7942917e954b0ac50c7ddcac..3bb365b7de778afc0aa0eaa630a6d5cb1bb1b92b 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -8420,24 +8420,35 @@ nodist_foo_SOURCES = do-not-distribute.c
 
 Occasionally it is useful to be able to change the distribution before
 it is packaged up.  If the @code{dist-hook} rule exists, it is run
-after the distribution directory is filled, but before the actual tar
-(or shar) file is created.  One way to use this is for distributing
-files in subdirectories for which a new @file{Makefile.am} is overkill:
+after the distribution directory is filled, but before the actual
+distribution archives are created.  One way to use this is for
+removing unnecessary files that get recursively included by specifying
+a directory in @code{EXTRA_DIST}:
 
 @example
+EXTRA_DIST = doc
 dist-hook:
-        mkdir $(distdir)/random
-        cp -p $(srcdir)/random/a1 $(srcdir)/random/a2 $(distdir)/random
+        rm -rf `find $(distdir)/doc -type d -name .svn`
 @end example
 
-Another way to use this is for removing unnecessary files that get
-recursively included by specifying a directory in EXTRA_DIST:
-
-@example
-EXTRA_DIST = doc
-
+@c The caveates described here should be documented in 'disthook.test'.
+@noindent
+Note that the @code{dist-hook} recipe shouldn't assume that the regular
+files in the distribution directory are writable; this might not be the
+case if one is packaging from a read-only source tree, or when a
+@code{make distcheck} is being done.  For similar reasons, the recipe
+shouldn't assume that the subdirectories put into the distribution
+directory as effect of having them listed in @code{EXTRA_DIST} are
+writable.  So, if the @code{dist-hook} recipe wants to modify the
+content of an existing file (or @code{EXTRA_DIST} subdirectory) in the
+distribution directory, it should explicitly to make it writable first:
+
+@example
+EXTRA_DIST = README doc
 dist-hook:
-        rm -rf `find $(distdir)/doc -type d -name .svn`
+        chmod u+w $(distdir)/README $(distdir)/doc
+        echo "Distribution date: `date`" >> README
+        rm -f $(distdir)/doc/HACKING
 @end example
 
 @vindex distdir

diff --git a/tests/disthook-perms.test b/tests/disthook-perms.test
deleted file mode 100755 (executable)
index a5f0acb..0000000
--- a/tests/disthook-perms.test
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-#! /bin/sh
-# Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-#
-# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
-# any later version.
-#
-# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-# GNU General Public License for more details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-
-# Check that the user can use the 'dist-hook' target to modify
-# permissions of distributed files before putting them in the
-# distribution tarball.  See automake bug#10878.
-
-. ./defs || Exit 1
-
-echo AC_OUTPUT >> configure.ac
-
-cat > Makefile.am <<'END'
-EXTRA_DIST = write execute
-dist-hook:
-       chmod u+w $(distdir)/write
-       chmod u+x $(distdir)/execute
-END
-
-$ACLOCAL
-$AUTOMAKE
-$AUTOCONF
-
-./configure
-
-echo Will be clobbered > write
-cat > execute <<'END'
-#!/bin/sh
-echo I run successfully
-END
-
-chmod a-w write
-chmod a-x execute
-
-$MAKE
-$MAKE dist
-
-test -f $distdir.tar.gz
-gzip -dc $distdir.tar.gz | tar xvf -
-
-cd $distdir
-echo clobber clobber > write
-cat write | grep 'clobber clobber'
-./execute
-./execute | grep 'I run successfully'
-
-:

diff --git a/tests/disthook.test b/tests/disthook.test
new file mode 100755 (executable)
index 0000000..9804e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/disthook.test
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+# Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+# any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+# Check that 'dist-hook' works.  See automake bug#10878.
+
+. ./defs || Exit 1
+
+echo AC_OUTPUT >> configure.ac
+
+cat > Makefile.am <<'END'
+EXTRA_DIST = write execute removed doc
+
+removed:
+       echo I will be deleted > $@
+DISTCLEANFILES = removed
+
+dist-hook:
+       chmod u+w $(distdir)/write $(distdir)/doc
+       chmod u+x $(distdir)/execute
+       rm -f $(distdir)/removed
+       rm -f $(distdir)/doc/HACKING
+       rm -f $(distdir)/doc/RELEASE-DATE
+       date > $(distdir)/doc/RELEASE-DATE
+       echo all is ok > $(distdir)/write
+
+check-local:
+       ls -l $(srcdir) $(srcdir)/doc
+       test "`cat $(srcdir)/write`" = "all is ok"
+       test -f $(srcdir)/doc/README
+       test -f $(srcdir)/doc/RELEASE-DATE
+       test ! -f $(srcdir)/removed
+       test ! -r $(srcdir)/removed
+       test ! -f $(srcdir)/doc/HACKING
+       test ! -r $(srcdir)/doc/HACKING
+       $(srcdir)/execute
+       $(srcdir)/execute | grep 'I run successfully'
+## Sanity check.
+       echo ok > $(srcdir)/../distcheck-run
+END
+
+$ACLOCAL
+$AUTOMAKE
+$AUTOCONF
+
+./configure
+mkdir doc
+: > doc/README
+: > doc/HACKING
+echo will be clobbered > write
+cat > execute <<'END'
+#!/bin/sh
+echo I run successfully
+END
+
+chmod a-w write
+chmod a-x execute
+
+$MAKE distdir
+ls -l $distdir $distdir/doc
+cd $distdir
+test "`cat write`" = "all is ok"
+test ! -f removed
+test ! -r removed
+test -f doc/README
+test -f doc/RELEASE-DATE
+test ! -f doc/HACING
+test ! -r doc/HACING
+./execute
+./execute | grep 'I run successfully'
+cd ..
+
+
+$MAKE distcheck
+test -f distcheck-run
+
+:

diff --git a/tests/list-of-tests.mk b/tests/list-of-tests.mk
index 5507ee5b0c4676f24ea7ca7743614292b7b2dab7..89cff2fb691d450fb4d3cb240f866deea9794a12 100644 (file)
--- a/tests/list-of-tests.mk
+++ b/tests/list-of-tests.mk
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ distcom4.test \
 distcom5.test \
 distcom-subdir.test \
 distdir.test \
-disthook-perms.test \
+disthook.test \
 distlinks.test \
 distlinksbrk.test \
 distname.test \