AC_PATH_PROG requires target be executable

[Botte, James - James M]

I know this has been somewhat brought up before, specifically in
"http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf/2007-11/msg00068.html";;
however, here's my scenario. I have a configure script that I want to
locate an AIX binary program called "bosboot". The portion of the
application runtime that needs the binary will run with enhanced
permissions; however, the autoconf-generated configure script will not
recognize the binary (usually "/usr/sbin/bosboot") because it has 550
permissions, and I'm running configure as myself (without boosting my
permissions). I neither need nor want that binary to be executable when
I'm building my program, but I do want to make sure that it's installed
on the path somewhere so that when I do go to run my application, that
it looks in the correct absolute path. I have rummaged around on the
web, I've R'ed the FM (I've been using Autoconf for about two years, so
it's not a newbie thing), and searched the bug-autoconf archive, but I
couldn't find anything that addressed my requirements (or a note that
described this behaviour). Am I missing something (i.e. can I turn off
the requirement that the file be executable for AC_PATH_PROG)? Is this
just the way Autoconf is going to work, have a nice day? Or would this
be considered a bug?

 

I'm particularly vexed that it seems to be behaviour that changed
between version 2.59 (that I started my development on) and 2.61 (that I
just upgraded to because I needed the m4_foreach_w macro). FYI, I went
back and verified that AC_PATH_PROG([BOSBOOT],bosboot) works under 2.59
and does not under 2.61 (due to the permissions issue).

 

Any advice would be very welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

    James