freefem: FTBFS: configure.in:72: error: required file 'admin/compile' not found

Imported from Debian bug http://bugs.debian.org/724199:

Source: freefem
Version: 3.5.8-5
Severity: serious
Tags: jessie sid
User: <email address hidden>
Usertags: qa-ftbfs-20130922 qa-ftbfs
Justification: FTBFS on amd64

Hi,

During a rebuild of all packages in sid, your package failed to build on
amd64.

Relevant part (hopefully):
> make[1]: Entering directory `/«PKGBUILDDIR»'
> /usr/share/cdbs/1/rules/simple-patchsys.mk:31: WARNING: simple-patchsys.mk is deprecated - please use source format 3.0 (quilt) instead
> debian/rules:21: warning: overriding commands for target `debian/stamp-autotools-files'
> /usr/share/cdbs/1/class/autotools-files.mk:51: warning: ignoring old commands for target `debian/stamp-autotools-files'
> if test -e /usr/share/misc/config.guess ; then \
> for i in ./admin/config.guess ; do \
> if ! test -e $i.cdbs-orig ; then \
> mv $i $i.cdbs-orig ; \
> cp --remove-destination /usr/share/misc/config.guess $i ; \
> fi ; \
> done ; \
> fi
> if test -e /usr/share/misc/config.sub ; then \
> for i in ./admin/config.sub ; do \
> if ! test -e $i.cdbs-orig ; then \
> mv $i $i.cdbs-orig ; \
> cp --remove-destination /usr/share/misc/config.sub $i ; \
> fi ; \
> done ; \
> fi
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/«PKGBUILDDIR»'
> if test -e /usr/share/misc/config.guess ; then \
> for i in ./admin/config.guess ; do \
> if ! test -e $i.cdbs-orig ; then \
> mv $i $i.cdbs-orig ; \
> cp --remove-destination /usr/share/misc/config.guess $i ; \
> fi ; \
> done ; \
> fi
> if test -e /usr/share/misc/config.sub ; then \
> for i in ./admin/config.sub ; do \
> if ! test -e $i.cdbs-orig ; then \
> mv $i $i.cdbs-orig ; \
> cp --remove-destination /usr/share/misc/config.sub $i ; \
> fi ; \
> done ; \
> fi
> libtoolize
> libtoolize: putting auxiliary files in AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR, `admin'.
> libtoolize: linking file `admin/ltmain.sh'
> libtoolize: You should add the contents of the following files to `aclocal.m4':
> libtoolize: `/usr/share/aclocal/libtool.m4'
> libtoolize: `/usr/share/aclocal/ltoptions.m4'
> libtoolize: `/usr/share/aclocal/ltversion.m4'
> libtoolize: `/usr/share/aclocal/ltsugar.m4'
> libtoolize: `/usr/share/aclocal/lt~obsolete.m4'
> libtoolize: Consider adding `AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])' to configure.in and
> libtoolize: rerunning libtoolize, to keep the correct libtool macros in-tree.
> libtoolize: Consider adding `-I m4' to ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS in Makefile.am.
> autoreconf -I admin/
> aclocal: warning: autoconf input should be named 'configure.ac', not 'configure.in'
> admin/kfem_check_vtk.m4:28: warning: underquoted definition of KFEM_CHECK_VTK
> admin/kfem_check_vtk.m4:28: run info Automake 'Extending aclocal'
> admin/kfem_check_vtk.m4:28: or see http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#Extending-aclocal
> automake: warning: autoconf input should be named 'configure.ac', not 'configure.in'
> configure.in:71: warning: AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE: two- and three-arguments forms are deprecated. For more info, see:
> configure.in:71: http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#Modernize-AM_005fINIT_005fAUTOMAKE-invocation
> configure.in:72: error: required file 'admin/compile' not found
> configure.in:72: 'automake --add-missing' can install 'compile'
> freefem/Makefile.am:21: warning: 'INCLUDES' is the old name for 'AM_CPPFLAGS' (or '*_CPPFLAGS')
> automake: warning: autoconf input should be named 'configure.ac', not 'configure.in'
> autoreconf: automake failed with exit status: 1
> make: *** [debian/stamp-autotools-files] Error 1

The full build log is available from:
   http://aws-logs.debian.net/ftbfs-logs/2013/09/22/freefem_3.5.8-5_unstable.log

A list of current common problems and possible solutions is available at
http://wiki.debian.org/qa.debian.org/FTBFS . You're welcome to contribute!

About the archive rebuild: The rebuild was done on EC2 VM instances from
Amazon Web Services, using a clean, minimal and up-to-date chroot. Every
failed build was retried once to eliminate random failures.