autoreconf -f -i exits with code 1 "error: possibly undefined macro"

[maltris]

autoreconf -f -i on Alpine 3.11 leads to:

/pam-MySQL # autoreconf -f -i
libtoolize: putting auxiliary files in AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR, 'build-aux'.
libtoolize: copying file 'build-aux/ltmain.sh'
libtoolize: putting macros in AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS, 'm4'.
libtoolize: copying file 'm4/libtool.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltoptions.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltsugar.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltversion.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'm4/lt~obsolete.m4'
configure.ac:26: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_ERROR
      If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow.
      See the Autoconf documentation.
configure.ac:43: error: possibly undefined macro: AS_IF
autoreconf: /usr/bin/autoconf failed with exit status: 1

Where a run with autoreconf -i works fine:

/pam-MySQL # autoreconf -i
configure.ac:13: installing 'build-aux/compile'
configure.ac:13: installing 'build-aux/config.guess'
configure.ac:13: installing 'build-aux/config.sub'
configure.ac:6: installing 'build-aux/install-sh'
configure.ac:6: installing 'build-aux/missing'
Makefile.am: installing './INSTALL'
Makefile.am: installing 'build-aux/depcomp'

Should the INSTALL instruction be updated?

[NigelCunningham]

Thanks for recording this. I haven't heard of anyone else requiring just -i. I'm working on learning the Meson build system and intend to change to it - hopefully it will address this issue.

Regards,

Nigel

[wferi]

Try installing pkg-config and/or autoconf-archive.
But you really shouldn't need to run autoreconf at all, simply extract the distribution tarball and run the shipped configure script.

[NigelCunningham]

Closing as we're now using Meson.