Variable defition works in configure.ac, but not in external file?

[Richard Bos]

Problem: a variable remains undefined during 'make distcheck', although, it is 
present in the file that is included by Makefile.am. There is no problem 
running 'make DESTDIR=$PWD/ME install'.  If I use the AC_SUBST for the same 
variable in configure.ac the make finishes succesfull.  Looking for a clue, 
details below:

The error:
# make distcheck
....
test -z "/schema" || mkdir -p -- "/schema"
mkdir: kan map `/schema' niet aanmaken: Toegang geweigerd
make[2]: *** [install-dist_ldapschemaDATA] Fout 1


Makefile.am contains:
..........
@distribution@
.........
ldapschema_FILES =  kolab2.schema \
        rfc2739.schema

ldapschemadir = $(ldapconfdir)/schema
dist_ldapschema_DATA = $(ldapschema_FILES)
........

ldapconfdir is defined in the file dist_conf/kolab:
# grep ldapconfdir dist_conf/kolab
ldapconfdir=${sysconfdir}/openldap

The file dist_conf/kolab (@distribution@) included by configure.ac as follows:
AC_ARG_ENABLE([dist],
  [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-dist=DIST],
     [distribution target (default: openpkg)])],
     [distribution=dist_conf/$enable_dist],
   [distribution=dist_conf/kolab])
AC_SUBST_FILE(distribution)

A regular make install works fine though:
# make DESTDIR=$PWD/ME install | grep ldap
...........
test -z "/usr/etc/openldap/schema" || mkdir -p -- 
"/usr/tmp/kolab/kolabd.mh/kolabd/ME/usr/etc/openldap/schema"
...........


In case I add to configure.ac:
ldapconfdir="\$(sysconfdir)/openldap"
AC_SUBST(ldapconfdir)
make distcheck finishes succesfull.


Any idea what is going wrong?


-- 
Thanks in advance,

Richard Bos
Without a home the journey is endless