Added answer.

[mmh] / docs / README.developers

diff --git a/docs/README.developers b/docs/README.developers
index b243b5d..0fe6311 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/README.developers
+++ b/docs/README.developers
@@ -44,17 +44,25 @@ around with `touch'.
 The correct procedure to commit the configure-related files is:
 
     % cvs commit acconfig.h aclocal.m4 configure.in
-    % autoconf && autoheader
+    % autoconf && autoheader                          # or simply "make"
     % cvs commit config.h.in configure
-    % make stamp-h.in
+    % make stamp-h.in                                 # or simply "make"
     % cvs commit stamp-h.in
 
-If you haven't changed all of those files, just commit the rest in the stated
-order (e.g. cvs commit acconfig.h config.h.in stamp-h.in).  The reason for
-the sequence is the RCS Id strings in the edited files -- they change when
-you commit the changes.
-
-You can run just "make" instead of the other commands in between cvs commits.
+The reason that the commits need to be split up is that the RCS Id strings
+in the files change when you commit, which can apparently mess up the
+dependencies.  [How?  -- Dan Harkless <dan-nmh@dilvish.speed.net> // CVS
+updates the strings to have the new version number, the modification time
+of the file gets updated by the OS.  -- Kimmo Suominen <kim@tac.nyc.ny.us>]
+If this were not the case, you could commit with a single make followed by a
+cvs commit acconfig.h aclocal.m4 config.h.in configure.in configure stamp-h.in.
+[But since we have the RCS Id strings in the files, isn't it useless to even
+mention this?  The fix would be to remove the strings, and I don't think that
+would be good.  -- Kimmo Suominen <kim@tac.nyc.ny.us>]
+
+If you haven't changed all the files noted above, just commit the ones you have,
+in the stated order (for instance, configure.in, then configure, then
+stamp-h.in).
 
 
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