using read-only source tree? and how to choose location for autom4te.cache and Makefile.in, etc

[Jeremy C. Reed]

I am hoping I can do some builds with a read-only source tree.

I am running my autoreconf from the source directory and running "make" in 
my work directory. My Makefile, config.log, config.status, 
configure.lineno, and object files are in my work directory, like I 
expect.

But the autom4te.cache is created in my source directory. If my source 
directory is read-only I receive:

cannot create autom4te.cache/output.0t: permission denied

How can I tell autom4te or autoreconf or whatever to never write to my 
source directory?

I tried using --cache-file=~/cache but I am unclear on what that is for 
(and it didn't help).

I tried quickly looking at some of the autom4te script and modules, but 
didn't see where the filename is defined.

I also have files generated like:

aclocal.m4
configure
config.h.in
Makefile.in

Any suggestions on how I can have these also generated into my work 
directory (and not my source directory)?

For now, I just generate them in my source directory. And then run the 
./configure while in my work directory.

 Jeremy C. Reed

p.s. Please carbon copy me on replies.