This is my proposal. Does it work properly for you?
Index: ChangeLog
from Akim Demaille <akim@xxxxxxxx>
* lib/autoconf/status.m4 (_AC_OUTPUT_COMMANDS): Make sure the
directory for AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS' first argument exists.
This makes valid the invocation of _AC_SRCPATH that follows.
Reported by Eric Sunshine.
Index: NEWS
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/autoconf/autoconf/NEWS,v
retrieving revision 1.307
diff -u -u -r1.307 NEWS
--- NEWS 25 Sep 2003 15:22:43 -0000 1.307
+++ NEWS 26 Sep 2003 13:07:04 -0000
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
* Major changes in Autoconf 2.57e -*- outline -*-
+** AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS
+ The directory for its first argument is automatically created. For
+ instance, with
+
+ AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([src/modules.hh], [...])
+
+ $top_builddir/src/ is created if needed.
+
* Major changes in Autoconf 2.57d
Released 2003-09-25, by Akim Demaille.
Index: THANKS
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/autoconf/autoconf/THANKS,v
retrieving revision 1.120
diff -u -u -r1.120 THANKS
--- THANKS 26 Sep 2003 08:21:48 -0000 1.120
+++ THANKS 26 Sep 2003 13:07:04 -0000
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
Erez Zadok ezk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eric Backus ericb@xxxxxxxxxxx
Eric Mumpower nocturne@xxxxxxx
+Eric Sunshine sunshine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ezra Peisach epeisach@xxxxxxxxxxx
Felix Lee flee@xxxxxxxxxx
Franc,ois Pinard pinard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Index: doc/autoconf.texi
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/autoconf/autoconf/doc/autoconf.texi,v
retrieving revision 1.760
diff -u -u -r1.760 autoconf.texi
--- doc/autoconf.texi 23 Sep 2003 23:05:10 -0000 1.760
+++ doc/autoconf.texi 26 Sep 2003 13:07:06 -0000
@@ -2805,9 +2805,10 @@
@acindex{CONFIG_COMMANDS}
Specify additional shell commands to run at the end of
@file{config.status}, and shell commands to initialize any variables
-from @command{configure}. Associate the commands with @var{tag}. Since
-typically the @var{cmds} create a file, @var{tag} should naturally be
-the name of that file. This macro is one of the instantiating macros;
+from @command{configure}. Associate the commands with @var{tag}.
+Since typically the @var{cmds} create a file, @var{tag} should
+naturally be the name of that file. If needed, the directory hosting
+@var{tag} is created. This macro is one of the instantiating macros;
see @ref{Configuration Actions}.
Here is an unrealistic example:
