Hi Mike, the issue isn't `rm -f` exactly, it's `rm -f` with a variable that could be empty.
Sure. i'm not sure we need to fully audit the tree Seems desirable to make a best effort to look at every viable case. At any rate, it should be reproducible on OpenSolaris etc., as reported by Bob F earlier in this report. So I hope Bob could try any proposed patches and check for missing cases. we could add a helper var to further collapse the boiler plate. am__rm_f = rm -f $(am__rm_f_notfound) then the rule is a bit more palatable: $(am__rm_f) ... Personally I find making "rm -f" into a variable less readable than the original suggestion of: rm -f ... $(am__rm_f_notfound) The minor tweak that comes to my mind is that maybe the variable name would be better as $(am__rm_f_notfound_file): rm -f ... $(am__rm_f_notfound_file) or if we want to claim namespace and make it something we want to export for users of automake akin to AC_PROG_LN_S, we could use RM_F. Our hope/belief is that the proposed change would silently fix the problem. In which case I don't see a win to doing something in user namespace, having to document it, etc. (Incidentally, I'd never want to define a variable as simple as "RM_F" at this late date. Too much chance of collision ... AM_RM_F would be ok if we wanted to go this route, but, as I say, I don't see a reason at the moment.) --thanks, karl.