Re: [PATCH 1/1] Introduce new build variables INSTALL_MODE_EXECUTABLE and INSTALL_MODE_DATA.

Jeff Epler [off-list ref] writes:

I was not familiar with this behavior of 'install -d' that it tries to change
the mode of an existing directory, but GNU coreutils 8.12.197-032bb
certainly behaves as TJ reports.

As a possible alternative, what about
    [ -d $(DESTDIR)$(main1dir) ] || $(INSTALL) -d -m 755 $(DESTDIR)$(man1dir)
so that $(INSTALL) is not called when the target directory exists
already.

That can cut both ways, though.  If it exists and its permission is
too tight (say 0750), $(INSTALL) -d -m 755 ought to loosen for
others, but with the additional test, it won't be given a chance to
do so.