`configure' slightly broken in texinfo tree

[Jeffrey A Law]

  In message < 13851.43149.627477.232235@loki.wkstn.nix >you write:
  > # We do this for the sake of a more helpful warning in doc/Makefile.
  > TEXMF='$(datadir)/texmf'
  > 
  > Am I being thoroughly thick, or will this execute the command named
  > `datadir', substitute its output into the command line, and stick a
  > `/texmf' on the end?
I don't see how that would run a command.  That's just a typical shell
assginment.

You might try running the appropriate configure script with the -x option
to see what's happening.

jeff