[bug] Wrong prefix for AutotoolsToolchain (or wrong docs)

[dubvulture]

The documentation for AutotoolsToolchain states that:

• configure_args: Additional arguments to be passed to the configure script.
  • By default the following arguments are passed:
    • --prefix: With the self.package_folder value.

But the code seems to default to /, see here.
This was changed in conan-io/conan#11284, before that it was set as stated in the documentation.

[jellespijker]

The autotools.install() method is also not aware of the subsystem. When using the msys2 recipe as a tool_requires you need to add the following line to the recipe.

autotools.install(args=[f"DESTDIR={unix_path(self, self.package_folder)}"])

where unix_path is imported from conan.tools.microsoft

[planetmarshall]

If you set --prefix=self.package_folder, then the absolute path of the package folder is appended to the package folder again, so for example if the package folder is /home/conan/.conan/data/package, the package will end up being installed in /home/conan/.conan/data/package/home/conan/.conan/data/package

[samuel-emrys]

Looks like this was changed in conan-io/conan#11264. Also related: conan-io/conan#12338

Documentation needs to be updated to reflect the change in approach.

// cc @czoido as the author of the changes

[czoido]

Thanks for reporting @dubvulture,
The documentation is indeed wrong, we'll fix it, I'm transferring this to the docs repo.
@jellespijker Regarding the problem with Windows there's a PR open: conan-io/conan#12193 there are some tests pending but we will try to push it for the next release.

[jellespijker]

Thanks for reporting @dubvulture, The documentation is indeed wrong, we'll fix it, I'm transferring this to the docs repo. @jellespijker Regarding the problem with Windows there's a PR open: conan-io/conan#12193 there are some tests pending but we will try to push it for the next release.

that is excellent news 👍

[czoido]

Closed by #2800