Bug#639720: Simplify build system using libtoolize and autoreconf

[Svante Signell]

On Tue, 2011-08-30 at 10:25 +0200, Francesco P. Lovergine wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 07:48:15PM +0200, Svante Signell wrote:
> > Package: libhdf4
> > Version: 4.2r4-12
> > Severity: normal
> > Tags: patch
...

> I'm perfectly aware of the possibility to run autotools on fly in rules.
> I simply disagree about that for a few reasons which can be summarized
> in a simple way: doing that exposes to more FTBS errors during the 
> development cycle (when autotools versions change) 
> than doing it once with a known working set of tools when (and only when) 
> it is strictly required.
> 
> It is the same reason that motivates me to use maintainer mode in
> my own set of automake scripts for all programs I write.

I know that there are issues with the autotools, but keeping patches
3.3MB (compared to 68k) with a _lot_ of stuff that can be generated is
not reasonable, at lest in my (and other peoples opinion). The patch has
been build tested on both Linux and Hurd. From what I recall this
software will be replaced by hdf5, when it moves from experimental,
right? 

Anyway, I will create a new patch for bug #639287 to make it build for
GNU/Hurd keeping the big patches (especially autotools), and make it as
minimal as possible,