short version:  libtool on a.out has:

# Method to check whether dependent libraries are shared objects.
deplibs_check_method="unknown"


why unknown?


longer version:

I was digging into a program which uses libtool and noticed the following
in the pkgsrc libtool:

this is from work/libtool-1.3.5/ltconfig.in

netbsd*)
  version_type=sunos
  if echo __ELF__ | $CC -E - | grep __ELF__ >/dev/null; then
    library_names_spec='${libname}${release}.so$versuffix 
                                              ${libname}.so$versuffix'
    finish_cmds='PATH="\$PATH:/sbin" ldconfig -m $libdir'
    dynamic_linker='NetBSD (a.out) ld.so'
  else
    deplibs_check_method='file_magic ELF [0-9][0-9]*-bit [LM]SB shared
object'
    file_magic_cmd=/usr/bin/file
    file_magic_test_file=`echo /usr/lib/libc.so*`
    library_names_spec='${libname}${release}.so$versuffix
${libname}${release}.so$major ${libname}${
release}.so ${libname}.so'
    soname_spec='${libname}${release}.so$major'
    dynamic_linker='NetBSD ld.elf_so'
  fi
  shlibpath_var=LD_LIBRARY_PATH
  ;;


so on an a.out system, in particular the following results:

# Method to check whether dependent libraries are shared objects.
deplibs_check_method="unknown"

my question is

should there actually be a command there or does that not make sense for
a.out systems?

-Dan