FYI, when I install a new version of the autotools, I do something like
# PATH=/new/path/bin:$PATH
# cd m4; ./configure --prefix=/new/path; make; make install
# cd ../autoconf; ./configure --prefix=/new/path; make; make install
# cd ../automake; ./configure --prefix=/new/path; make; make install
# cd ../libtool; ./configure --prefix=/new/path $OSXOPTS; make; make install
The proper versions of everything are found because they are first in
PATH.
The OSXOPTS for libtool is needed because Apple ships another program
named libtool. GNU libtool is renamed to glibtool (IIRC). There are a
couple ways of effecting this. IIRC, I use a setting that prefixes the
program with a g (something like --program-prefix=g).
Later,
Daniel