The problem is in this section of the configure script. The "$*" is set to

	X conftestfile ./configure ./configure.in

> echo timestamp > conftestfile
> # Do `set' in a subshell so we don't clobber the current shell's
> # arguments.  Must try -L first in case configure is actually a
> # symlink; some systems play weird games with the mod time of symlinks
> # (eg FreeBSD returns the mod time of the symlink's containing
> # directory).
> if (
>    set X `ls -Lt $srcdir/configure conftestfile 2> /dev/null`
>    if test "$*" = "X"; then
>       # -L didn't work.
>       set X `ls -t $srcdir/configure conftestfile`
>    fi
>    if test "$*" != "X $srcdir/configure conftestfile" \
>       && test "$*" != "X conftestfile $srcdir/configure"; then
> 
>       # If neither matched, then we have a broken ls.  This can happen
>       # if, for instance, CONFIG_SHELL is bash and it inherits a
>       # broken ls alias from the environment.  This has actually
>       # happened.  Such a system could not be considered "sane".
>       { echo "configure: error: ls -t appears to fail. Make sure there is
> not a broken alias in your environment"	1>&2; exit 1; }
>    fi
> 
>    test "$2" = conftestfile
>    )
> then
>    # Ok.
>    :
> else
>    { echo "configure: error: newly created file is older than distributed files!
> Check your system clock" 1>&2; exit 1; }
> fi

'ls' is normally aliased to 'ls -AF'; this will append a "*" character to
the script file's name since it is executable. I suspect that the "*"
character is somehow fed back into 'ls' which then list both configure and
configure.in.

I can make it work by adding 'unalias ls' before the offending section.  
That means it's an 'sh' initialisation problem.

Since most other things work well, and I only had a passing interest in
GLib 1.2.3, and I have other things to do, I give up.

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

--------------------
Claude Marinier, Information Technology Group    claude.marinier@dreo.dnd.ca 
Defence Research Establishment Ottawa (DREO)    (613) 998-4901  FAX 998-2675
3701 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0Z4         http://www.dreo.dnd.ca