[Kea-users] Selection of awk binary in configure script

[Jeremy C. Reed]

> While looking at this I also noticed something I did not understand. The
> configure script in the kea-1.0.0 tar-ball does this:
> ===
> for ac_prog in gawk mawk nawk awk
> ===
>
> However, the configure.ac file in that same tar-ball only contains these
> awk-related settings:
> ===
> AC_PATH_PROGS(AWK, gawk awk)

Looks like that is redundant.

> I find no trace of mawk or nawk in any files other than the supposedely
> generated configure script. Where does these come from?

It comes from autoconf's programs.m4.

As for the selection of the awk, I do agree that "awk" first is my 
preferred choice. But autoconf's decision is "Check for gawk first since 
it's generally better."  I think it was just a small chance that it got 
detected and then removed during your user's build.  Some (automated) 
build systems create wrappers in the execute path for gawk to awk and 
maybe you can consider that.