GNUmakefile and 'make install'

[Eric Blake]

Joel Denny re-raised the issue on the bison list [1] that it can be rather 
confusing that a developer working with GNUmakefile and git-version-gen can 
type 'make install', and end up installing a stale version string.

[1] http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bison-patches/2008-07/msg00016.html

The GNU Coding Standards state:

"If possible, write the install target rule so that it does not modify anything 
in the directory where the program was built, provided ‘make all’ has just been 
done. This is convenient for building the program under one user name and 
installing it under another."

http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html#Standard-Targets

However, I'm now of the opinion that this quote should be taken in context, and 
only apply to tarballs (ie. when .tarball-version is present), and not to 
development.  Would anyone object to modifying GNUmakefile to also cause 
recompilation for new version info prior to any 'make install' of a VCS 
snapshot development build, when .tarball-version is lacking?

-- 
Eric Blake