Automake generates rules for VALA files which try to create C output in the source directory. This is pretty strange, but anyway the build doesn't succeed even if the source directory is writable.
quoting Andrey Borzenkov in http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake/2010-11/msg00036.html: ------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm trying to rebuild systemd (http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd) from GIT. It is using several programs built using vala; in-tree build is OK, out-of-tree build fails: {pts/0}% LC_ALL=C make make all-am make[1]: Entering directory `/home/bor/build/systemd' make[1]: *** No rule to make target `/home/bor/src/systemd/systemadm_vala.stamp', needed by `/home/bor/src/systemd/src/systemadm.c'. Stop. make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/bor/build/systemd' make: *** [all] Error 2 Looking at Makefile.in, generated by automake, I cannot understand how it is supposed to work: $(srcdir)/src/systemadm.c: $(srcdir)/systemadm_vala.stamp @if test -f $@; then :; else \ rm -f $(srcdir)/systemadm_vala.stamp; \ $(am__cd) $(srcdir) && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) systemadm_vala.stamp; \ fi systemadm_vala.stamp: $(systemadm_SOURCES) $(AM_V_VALAC)$(VALAC) $(systemadm_VALAFLAGS) $(VALAFLAGS) -C $(systemadm_SOURCES) $(AM_V_at)touch $@ In out-of-tree build $(srcdir)/systemadm_vala.stamp is not the same as systemadm_vala.stamp, nor can it be. VPATH search does not apply here, because path does not yet exist; so when it is rebuilt, file name is used verbatim. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrey didn't get a definite reply, but the problem seems to be still present. Zbyszek
