LTLIBRARIES doesn't work correctly for static libs that consist only of other static libs

[Sebastian Rittau]

Consider the following Makefile.am:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

SUBDIRS = adouble asp atp compat dsi nbp netddp util

lib_LTLIBRARIES = libatalk.la

LIBATALK_DEPS = asp/libasp.la atp/libatp.la nbp/libnbp.la adouble/libadouble.la 
dsi/libdsi.la util/libutil.la compat/libcompat.la netddp/libnetddp.la 
asp/libasp.la

libatalk_la_SOURCES = 
libatalk_la_LIBADD  = ${LIBATALK_DEPS}
libatalk_la_LDFLAGS = -static

---------------------------------------------------------------------

When I try to compile this, the following error is reported:

make[3]: Entering directory 
`/home/srittau/Programmierung/Projekte/Netatalk/libatalk'
rpath /usr/lib -static  asp/libasp.la atp/libatp.la nbp/libnbp.la 
adouble/libadouble.la dsi/libdsi.la util/libutil.la compat/libcompat.la 
netddp/libnetddp.la asp/libasp.la -lcrypto -lrpcsvc -lresolv -lnsl -ldl -ldb 
-lcrypt  -lpam
make[3]: rpath: Command not found
make[3]: [libatalk.la] Error 127 (ignored)
make[3]: Leaving directory 
`/home/srittau/Programmierung/Projekte/Netatalk/libatalk'

As you can see, make tries to execute "rpath". The generated Makefile[.in]
contains the following rule:

libatalk.la: $(libatalk_la_OBJECTS) $(libatalk_la_DEPENDENCIES)
        $(LINK) -rpath $(libdir) $(libatalk_la_LDFLAGS) $(libatalk_la_OBJECTS) 
$(libatalk_la_LIBADD) $(LIBS)

But the variable LINK is never set in the Makefile!

If I create an empty file dummy.c and replace
  libatalk_la_SOURCES =
by
  libatalk_la_SOURCES = dummy.c
everything works as expected.

I'm using the Debian package of automake, version 1.4-p4-1. I did
already report this on the Debian bug-tracking system as bug #86136
(CC'ed), but as there was no reaction since february, I'm writing
directly to you.

 - Sebastian