My project can't use `silent-rules'

[Bob Friesenhahn]

I see that the only way to request the new `silent-rules' feature is 
by using the new form of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE to pass the option.  Since 
my package can not use the new form of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE, then it can 
not request `silent-rules'.

The reason for this limitation is that using the new form of 
AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE also requires using the new form of AC_INIT.  Since 
my package can not use the new form of AC_INIT, then it can not use 
the new form of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE and therefore can not request 
`silent-rules'.

The reason why my package can not use AC_INIT is that the package 
version information is (often) computed by shell script code based on 
the last entry in the project ChangeLog or other information.  It is 
(apparently) not possible for user-provided script code to be executed 
prior to AC_INIT and it is not clear if AC_INIT would allow passing a 
shell variable in order to obtain the package version value.

Several other files in my project include content from the package 
version.

It does not make sense to manually edit configure.ac each time a new 
package needs to be produced.

Is there a way that some of my own script code can be executed prior 
to AC_INIT and a way to pass this information in a shell variable to 
AC_INIT?  If so, then I can move ahead, but otherwise I am forced to 
ignore these major updates to Automake.

Please advise.

Bob

P.S. I am pretty pissed that almost all recent discussion of automake 
major features and direction has apparently taken place on the 
automake-patches list rather than the automake list where it belongs. 
Not everyone interested in Automake has time to read all the bugs and 
detailed patches.
--
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/