[Python-Dev] Does autoconfig detect INSTALL incorrectly?

[Guido van Rossum]

> Why is the configure.in file set to always use "install-sh"?
> There is a comment that says:
> 
>     # Install just never works :-(
> 
> I don't think that statement is accurate.  /usr/bin/install works
> quite well on my machine.  The only commments I can find in the
> changelog are:
> 
>     revision 1.16
>     date: 1995/01/20 14:12:16;  author: guido;  state: Exp;  lines: +27 -2
>     add INSTALL_PROGRAM and INSTALL_DATA; check for getopt
> 
> and:
> 
>     revision 1.5
>     date: 1994/08/19 15:33:51;  author: guido;  state: Exp;  lines: +14 -6
>     Simplify value of INSTALL (always 'cp').
> 
> Is there any reason why the autoconf macro AC_PROG_INSTALL is not used?  The
> documentation seems to indicate that is does what we want.

Neil,

It's too long for me to remember, and I bet this was before
AC_PROG_INSTALL.  If there's a reason to prefer a working "install"
over install-sh, feel free to do the right thing!  (You're in charge
of the Makefile anyway now, it seems. :-)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)