Re: Do not require ABOUT-NLS in source directory

[Gavin Smith]

On Sun, Oct 20, 2024 at 09:01:03PM +0200, Bruno Haible wrote:
> > Hence, please consider this patch to automake to remove ABOUT-NLS as
> > a requirement.
> 
> I disagree with the patch. I could agree if you remove it when Automake
> option 'gnu' is in use (since the GNU Coding Standards don't require
> this file). But please keep it mandatory in 'gnits' mode, which is a
> kind of super-picky distribution mode.

Here's an amended version with an amended commit message:

commit 6e176eef4560460426396cf842b31bebe23bddc4 (HEAD -> master)
Author: Gavin Smith <gavinsmith0123@gmail.com>
Date:   2024-10-20 09:55:48 +0100

    automake: require ABOUT-NLS only at gnits
    
    * bin/automake.in (handle_gettext): In require_file for ABOUT-NLS,
    change strictness level from GNU to GNITS.
    * NEWS: Add notice.

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d33323ccc..b94963b1d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 For planned incompatibilities in a possible future Automake 2.0 release,
 please see NEWS-2.0 and start following the advice there now.
 
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+New in 1.x:
+
+* Miscellaneous changes
+
+   - Only require the presence of an ABOUT-NLS file at the 'gnits'
+     strictness level
+
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 New in 1.17:
diff --git a/bin/automake.in b/bin/automake.in
index a17f45236..479125505 100644
--- a/bin/automake.in
+++ b/bin/automake.in
@@ -4549,8 +4549,7 @@ sub handle_gettext ()
        if ($seen_gettext_external && ! $seen_gettext_intl
            && grep ($_ eq 'intl', @subdirs));
     }
-
-  require_file ($ac_gettext_location, GNU, 'ABOUT-NLS');
+  require_file ($ac_gettext_location, GNITS, 'ABOUT-NLS');
 }
 
 # Emit makefile footer.