MySQL Bugs: #32035: 5.x requires autoconf >= 2.58 but configure.in still sets >=2.52 only

Bug #32035	5.x requires autoconf >= 2.58 but configure.in still sets >=2.52 only
Submitted:	1 Nov 2007 16:38	Modified:	28 Nov 2008 21:45
Reporter:	John David Duncan	Email Updates:
Status:	Closed	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: Compiling	Severity:	S3 (Non-critical)
Version:	5.0, 5.1	OS:	Any
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any
Tags:	autotools

Description:
The mysql-telco trees available from mysql.bkbits.net do not correctly specify the minimum required version of autoconf.

configure.in reads:

dnl -*- ksh -*-
dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.

AC_PREREQ(2.52)dnl              Minimum Autoconf version required.

But this is not true.  From my experience, 2.57 does not work, but 2.61 is OK. 

I found this problem in CGE, but it may be present in all other mysql trees as well.

How to repeat:
autoconf --version

bkf clone bk://mysql.bkbits.net/mysql-5.1-telco cge-bk
cd cge-bk
BUILD/autorun.sh 

I believe this may also be the actual problem in bug # 31803.

Suggested fix:
Determine the lowest versions of autoconf and automake that can reasonably be supported.
Fix all configure.in and Makefile.am files that gratuitously require a later version.
Fix AC_PREREQ in configure.in.
Do these fixes in all trees.
On wiki, document the standard targeted versions, the differences between versions, and the common pitfalls. 
Make developers aware of this wiki page.

The manual states that autoconf >= 2.58 is required
so this is either a documentation or a code bug,
probably the later.

5.0bk and 5.1bk are both affected so changing
version to "5.0, 5.1" and category to "Server->Compiling"

===== configure.in 1.457 vs edited =====
--- 1.457/configure.in  2007-11-01 17:50:22 +01:00
+++ edited/configure.in 2007-11-01 17:49:56 +01:00
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 dnl -*- ksh -*-
 dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
-AC_PREREQ(2.52)dnl             Minimum Autoconf version required.
+AC_PREREQ(2.58)dnl             Minimum Autoconf version required.
 
 AC_INIT(sql/mysqld.cc)
 AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM

Documentation snippet:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/installing-source-tree.html

  [...]
  2. You need GNU make, autoconf 2.58 (or newer), automake 1.8.1, 
     libtool 1.5, and m4 to run the next set of commands.
  [...]

Just a remark:
bug#31803 was a bug of its own, an error in netware/Makefile.am
which is not related to any autotools version / feature.
I had closed it without filing a report for that,
the fix is in current 5.1 and 6.0 already.

Presumably 2.52 now works, as bug#31803 is fixed.
If it doesn't, feel free to reopen the bug, but don't forget to explain in details how exactly 2.53 "does not work".