Three patches for the build system:

* make it work with automake 1.8
* simpler system for expanding path variables
* make it work with older gm4
Thanks to Albert Lee <trisk@acm.jhu.edu> for these!

acinclude.m4

@@ -1,8 +1,52 @@
+dnl as-ac-expand.m4 0.1.0
+dnl autostars m4 macro for expanding directories using configure's prefix
+dnl thomas@apestaart.org 
+
+dnl AS_AC_EXPAND(VAR, CONFIGURE_VAR)
+dnl
+dnl example
+dnl AS_AC_EXPAND(SYSCONFDIR, $sysconfdir)
+dnl will set SYSCONFDIR to /usr/local/etc if prefix=/usr/local
+
+AC_DEFUN([AS_AC_EXPAND],
+[
+  EXP_VAR=[$1]
+  FROM_VAR=[$2]
+
+  dnl first expand prefix and exec_prefix if necessary
+  prefix_save=$prefix
+  exec_prefix_save=$exec_prefix
+
+  dnl if no prefix given, then use /usr/local, the default prefix
+  if test "x$prefix" = "xNONE"; then
+    prefix=$ac_default_prefix
+  fi
+  dnl if no exec_prefix given, then use prefix
+  if test "x$exec_prefix" = "xNONE"; then
+    exec_prefix=$prefix
+  fi
+
+  full_var="$FROM_VAR"
+  dnl loop until it doesn't change anymore
+  while true; do
+    new_full_var="`eval echo $full_var`"
+    if test "x$new_full_var"="x$full_var"; then break; fi
+    full_var=$new_full_var
+  done
+
+  dnl clean up
+  full_var=$new_full_var
+  AC_SUBST([$1], "$full_var")
+
+  dnl restore prefix and exec_prefix
+  prefix=$prefix_save
+  exec_prefix=$exec_prefix_save
+])
 
 dnl PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GSTUFF, gtk+-2.0 >= 1.3 glib = 1.3.4, action-if, action-not)
 dnl defines GSTUFF_LIBS, GSTUFF_CFLAGS, see pkg-config man page
 dnl also defines GSTUFF_PKG_ERRORS on error
-AC_DEFUN(PKG_CHECK_MODULES, [
+AC_DEFUN([PKG_CHECK_MODULES], [
   succeeded=no
 
   if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"; then