confused: $DISTDIR not recognized by distcheck

[Richard Bos <radoeka at xs4all dot nl>]

Hello list,

I'm confused how to use DESTDIR in an install hook in combination with target 
distcheck.

When using $(prefix) in Makefile.am 'make distcheck' is succesfull,
but make DESTDIR=$PWD/blah fails:
(below is my result with DESTDIR in the Makefile.am instead of prefix)

---
# make DESTDIR=$PWD/blah
......
make  install-data-hook
make[4]: Entering directory `/tmp/server.tmp'
echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
echo prefix /
prefix /
echo

for i in cgi-bin icons; do \
  install -d -m 0755 //srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$i; \
done
install: cannot create directory `//srv/server': Permission denied
install: cannot create directory `//srv/server': Permission denied


Makeinstall
---------------
install-data-hook:
        echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
        echo prefix $(prefix)
        echo $(webserver_document_root)
        for i in cgi-bin icons; do \
          install -d -m 0755 $(prefix)/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$$i; \
        done
        for i in freebusy locks; do \
          install -d -m 0777 $(prefix)/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$$i; \
        done
        echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG


If I change $(prefix) into $(DESTDIR) in the generated Makefile,
make DESTDIR=$PWD/blah install succeeds:
---
make  install-data-hook
make[4]: Entering directory `/tmp/server.tmp'
echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
for i in cgi-bin icons; do \
  install -d -m 0755 /tmp/server.tmp/blah/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$i; \
done
for i in freebusy locks; do \
  install -d -m 0777 /tmp/server.tmp/blah/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$i; \
done
echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
make[4]: Leaving directory `/tmp/server.tmp'



If I use $(DESTDIR) in Makefile.am instead of $(prefix) the make distcheck
fails:
----
# make distcheck
......
make  install-data-hook
make[5]: Entering directory `/tmp/server.tmp/server-2.0/_build'
echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
echo DESTDIR
DESTDIR
for i in cgi-bin icons; do \
  install -d -m 0755 /srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$i; \
done
install: cannot create directory `/srv/server': Permission denied
install: cannot create directory `/srv/server': Permission denied
make[5]: *** [install-data-hook] Error 1


Makefile.am
------------
install-data-hook:
        echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG
        echo DESTDIR $(DESTDIR)
        for i in cgi-bin icons; do \
          install -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$$i; \
        done
        for i in freebusy locks; do \
          install -d -m 0777 $(DESTDIR)/srv/server/www/cgi-bin/$$i; \
        done
        echo DEBUG DEBUG  DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG DEBUG

The 'make DESTDIR=$PWD/blah install' command succeeds.

Why does my 'make distcheck' fail??


--
TIA,
 
Richard Bos
Without a home the journey is endless