Documentation error/installation script error (depending on your perspective)

[boxed]

According to the documentation building is a simple matter of calling first autogen.sh. But there are dependencies and so if you try to run this on OSX you get this:

./autogen.sh: line 9: aclocal: command not found
./autogen.sh: line 10: autoheader: command not found
./autogen.sh: line 11: automake: command not found
./autogen.sh: line 12: autoconf: command not found

That's not very helpful.

As an aside, if you install autoconf but haven't got aclocal installed the autogen.sh script doesn't actually quit on the (presumably fatal) error that it can't run aclocal, it just continues running.

[boxed]

Seems automake + autoconf will solve the problems. Installing via Homebrow works.

[wez]

Yeah, you need a working toolchain. I can't cover every permutation in the readme, or in the autogen script, but using the homebrew tools works. In addition, you'll probably be pleased to hear that we're going to be in homebrew shortly, so you'll be able to do brew install watchman. I'll update the readme when that lands.
Homebrew/legacy-homebrew#20349

[boxed]

Every permutation? Are there others?

[wez]

I meant every permutation of OS and package name and installation instructions. When the homebrew pull request gets merged I'll clarify that you need the autoconf tools, but honestly think that it's pretty clear about what it needed by printing out the missing tools (per what you pasted above).

[sunshowers]

The homebrew script includes dependencies on autoconf and automake.