NEWS: on assuming "rm -f" without arguments work

Signed-off-by: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini@gmail.com>

1 files changed, 35 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 61a011f06..1196c3636 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -39,6 +39,17 @@
 
 * WARNING: Future backward-incompatibilities!
 
+  - Makefile recipes generated by Automake 2.0 will expect to use an
+    'rm' program that doesn't complain when called without any non-option
+    argument if the '-f' option is given (so that commands like "rm -f"
+    and "rm -rf" will act as a no-op, instead of raising usage errors).
+    Accordingly, AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE will expand new shell code checking
+    that the default 'rm' program in PATH satisfies this requirement, and
+    aborting the configure process if this is not the case.  This behavior
+    of 'rm' is very widespread in the wild, and it will be required in the
+    next POSIX version:
+    <http://austingroupbugs.net/view.php?id=542>
+
   - Automake 2.0 will require Autoconf 2.70 or later (which is still
     unreleased at the moment of writing, but is planned to be released
     before Automake 2.0 is).
@@ -176,7 +187,30 @@ New in 1.14:
     (in the 'obsolete' category), and the recipes for the Automake-generated
     targets 'dist-shar' and 'dist-tarZ' will unconditionally display
     (non-fatal) warnings at make runtime.
-    
+
+* New configure runtime warnings about "rm -f" support:
+
+  - To simplify transition to Automake 2.0, the shell code expanded by
+    AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE now checks (at configure runtime) that the default
+    'rm' program in PATH doesn't complain when called without any
+    non-option argument if the '-f' option is given (so that commands
+    like "rm -f" and "rm -rf" act as a no-op, instead of raising usage
+    error).  If this is not the case,
+    the configure script is aborted, to call the attention of the user
+    on the issue, and invite him to fix his PATH.  The checked 'rm'
+    behavior is very widespread in the wild, and will be required by
+    future POSIX version:
+
+        <http://austingroupbugs.net/view.php?id=542>7
+
+    The user can still force the configure process to complete even in the
+    presence of a broken 'rm' by defining the ACCEPT_INFERIOR_RM_PROGRAM
+    environment variable to "yes".  And the generated Makefiles should
+    still work correctly even when such broken 'rm' is used.  But note
+    that this will no longer be the case with Automake 2.0 though, so, if
+    you encounter the warning, please report it to us ASAP (and try to fix
+    your environment as well).
+
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 New in 1.13.3: