When the user has a UID or GID that is larger than the ustar format supports, pax does not error out gracefully in some cases (FC13). In this case cpio does. See for more details: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=8343 Additionally drop tar.m4 out of that part of the Makefile or we end up in a fatal attempt to regen loop: CDPATH="${ZSH_VERSION+.}:" && cd . && perllibdir="automake-1.11.1/lib:./lib" "automake-1.11.1/aclocal" --acdir=m4 -I m4 /bin/sh: automake-1.11.1/aclocal: No such file or directory make: *** [aclocal.m4] Error 127 Upstream-Status: Pending Signed-off-by: Tom Rini Updated for version 1.11.3: Signed-off-by: Nitin A Kamble Date: 2011/03/14 Index: automake-1.11.3/m4/tar.m4 =================================================================== --- automake-1.11.3.orig/m4/tar.m4 2012-01-31 03:41:18.000000000 -0800 +++ automake-1.11.3/m4/tar.m4 2012-03-14 17:36:11.901303777 -0700 @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ m4_if([$1], [v7], [m4_fatal([Unknown tar format])]) AC_MSG_CHECKING([how to create a $1 tar archive]) # Loop over all known methods to create a tar archive until one works. -_am_tools='gnutar m4_if([$1], [ustar], [plaintar]) pax cpio none' +_am_tools='gnutar m4_if([$1], [ustar], [plaintar]) cpio pax none' _am_tools=${am_cv_prog_tar_$1-$_am_tools} # Do not fold the above two line into one, because Tru64 sh and # Solaris sh will not grok spaces in the rhs of `-'. Index: automake-1.11.3/Makefile.in =================================================================== --- automake-1.11.3.orig/Makefile.in 2012-02-01 02:37:59.000000000 -0800 +++ automake-1.11.3/Makefile.in 2012-03-14 17:38:03.530869197 -0700 @@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ am__aclocal_m4_deps = $(top_srcdir)/m4/a $(top_srcdir)/m4/options.m4 $(top_srcdir)/m4/runlog.m4 \ $(top_srcdir)/m4/sanity.m4 $(top_srcdir)/m4/silent.m4 \ $(top_srcdir)/m4/strip.m4 $(top_srcdir)/m4/substnot.m4 \ - $(top_srcdir)/m4/tar.m4 $(top_srcdir)/configure.ac + $(top_srcdir)/configure.ac am__configure_deps = $(am__aclocal_m4_deps) $(CONFIGURE_DEPENDENCIES) \ $(ACLOCAL_M4) am__CONFIG_DISTCLEAN_FILES = config.status config.cache config.log \