configure script uses option -E on wrong grep

[g.s@…]

On Solaris, /usr/bin/grep does not support the -E option, however, the configure script just calls grep which usually is /usr/bin/grep.
Possible solutions:

1. Rewrite to using -e
2. Use ggrep (/usr/sfw/bin might not be in the PATH, though)
3. Use /usr/xpg4/bin/grep (which probably isn't in the users' PATH, either)

[g.s@…]

In snapshot 2009-01-31, grep is also called with -q, which once again is only a GNU grep option.

[diego@…]

These options are not GNU, but POSIX. Your Solaris userland is right out of the stone age and does not support standards. You don't have to take my word for it, look it up yourself:

​http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/grep.html

[g.s@…]

There are several greps available on Solaris, however the configure script doesn't check if it's using the right one, but that's waht configure was meant for.

[diego@…]

configure neither is nor was meant to be a sanity check for your system. A POSIX-compatible system is required and assumed. Now go complain to your vendor.

[g.s@…]

FYIO:

​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_build_system:

Autoconf is used to attempt to work around the quirks found in various Unix-like operating systems. For example, some Unix-like systems may have certain facilities that are known to be broken or missing entirely. Autoconf creates a shell script which can detect these, and the program can work around them.

[diego@…]

FYI: We do not use auto*, nor do we intend to in the future. It's even in the FAQ. Auto* is the devil incarnate.