Re: Network-related functions and configuring for MinGW

[Paul Eggert]

As a general rule, we're trying to migrate checking for specific
library features out of Autoconf and into gnulib or whereever.
This is true for POSIX interfaces as well as for non-POSIX;
for example, it's why AC_FUNC_FNMATCH is marked as an obsolescent
macro in Autoconf.  (I'd like to remove more of these macros from
Autoconf as well, at some point.)  Any improvements for network-related
library functions are probably better suited for the package that needs
them, or for gnulib.

Perhaps Autoconf needs to support a general feature for checking
library features, which could be used by gnulib or whatever to
check for specific features, but we'd need some implementation
experience to know what that feature would be.