[FYI] master merged into tests-init

[Stefano Lattarini]

I've merged master into tests-init, and pushed.  This has basically
made the current tests-init branch equivalent to master (so that,
in particular, important and useful changes such as the definition
and use of variables `$PATH_SEPARATOR' and `$APIVERSION' have been
imported into tests-init).  This prepares the field for further work
on the tests-init branch.

Regards,
   Stefano