Re: [HACKERS] Proposed autoconf change: rip out search for 'install'

The Hermit Hacker <scrappy(at)hub(dot)org> writes:
>>>> I propose taking out configure's search for an install program and
>>>> just letting it select install-sh always. Anyone who really wanted
>>>> to use their local install could still override that decision by
>>>> changing Makefile.global.

>> I have no problem with that.

> I do...I don't like it when we assume that we're right and the
> person installing the software is wrong...usnig AC_PROG_INSTALL should be
> sufficient...

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, Chris' complaint was that the
software failed to do the Right Thing even though he had a peculiar
PATH. And certainly we do not have any installation instruction that
cautions you against having an incompatible "install" in your path.
(I'd not want to try to write an instruction like that, either, because
I don't know which ones aren't compatible.) So I'm not convinced by
Marc's argument that the configure program should assume the user knows
what he's doing in this respect.

The minimum-change, safest way to address the issue is to take out
configure.in's search for an install and always use install-sh
unless the user specifically overrides that. Using AC_PROG_INSTALL
looks to me like it introduces more risk; there's a possibility that
it will settle on an install that isn't really compatible, which is
the same problem we've got now. On the other hand, there's a lot to
be said for using standardized solutions, and AC_PROG_INSTALL is
presumably pretty well tested...

regards, tom lane