> > +APR_UTIL_CONF_ENV   := $(CROSS_ENV)
> > +
> >  #
> >  # autoconf
> >  #
> >  APR_UTIL_CONF_TOOL := autoconf
> >  APR_UTIL_CONF_OPT := \
> >     $(CROSS_AUTOCONF_USR) \
> > -   --with-apr=$(PTXDIST_SYSROOT_CROSS)/bin/apr-config \
> > -   --with-expat=$(PTXDIST_SYSROOT_TARGET)/usr
> > +   --with-apr=$(PTXDIST_SYSROOT_CROSS)/bin/apr-1-config \
>
> This seems strange (the original, not just your change): I don't think
> there is a $(PTXDIST_SYSROOT_CROSS)/bin/apr-config, it should be in
> PTXDIST_SYSROOT_TARGET. Can you check what configure does here?
>
> > +   --with-expat=$(PTXDIST_SYSROOT_TARGET)/usr/include/apr-1
>
> No, I'm pretty sure, that's not where expat is found.
>

but what is then the right here?

if I change it to PTXDIST_SYSROOT_TARGET then I get:

checking for APR... configure: error: the --with-apr parameter is
incorrect.
It must specify an install prefix, a build directory, or an apr-config
file.

my sysroot-cross/bin/ contains these files

platform/sysroot-cross/bin$ ll
-rwxr-xr-x 1 dnt dnt  7128 Feb 18 13:44 apr-1-config*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 dnt dnt  6752 Feb 20 14:09 apu-1-config*

if I use PTXDIST_SYSROOT_CROSS configure:

------------------------
target: apr-util.prepare
------------------------
checking build system type... i686-host-linux-gnu
checking host system type... arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi
checking target system type... arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi
checking for a BSD-compatible
install... /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2013.06.0/bin/install -c
checking for working mkdir -p... yes
APR-util Version: 1.5.4
checking for chosen layout... apr-util
checking for arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi-gcc... arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi-gcc
checking whether the C compiler works... yes
checking for C compiler default output file name... a.out
checking for suffix of executables...
checking whether we are cross compiling... yes
checking for suffix of object files... o
checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes
checking whether arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi-gcc accepts -g... yes
checking for arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi-gcc option to accept ISO C89... none
needed
Applying apr-util hints file rules for arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi
checking for APR... yes
  setting CPPFLAGS to " -DLINUX -D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE"
checking how to run the C preprocessor... arm-v5te-linux-gnueabi-cpp
checking for grep that handles long lines and -e... /bin/grep
checking for egrep... /bin/grep -E
checking for ANSI C header files... yes
checking for sys/types.h... yes
checking for sys/stat.h... yes
checking for stdlib.h... yes
checking for string.h... yes
checking for memory.h... yes
checking for strings.h... yes
checking for inttypes.h... yes
checking for stdint.h... yes
checking for unistd.h... yes
checking for ldap support...
checking for default DBM... sdbm (default)
checking for pg_config... no
checking libpq-fe.h usability... no
checking libpq-fe.h presence... no
checking for libpq-fe.h... no
checking postgresql/libpq-fe.h usability... no
checking postgresql/libpq-fe.h presence... no
checking for postgresql/libpq-fe.h... no
checking sqlite3.h usability... no
checking sqlite3.h presence... no
checking for sqlite3.h... no
checking sqlite.h usability... no
checking sqlite.h presence... no
checking for sqlite.h... no
checking sybdb.h usability... no
checking sybdb.h presence... no
checking for sybdb.h... no
checking freetds/sybdb.h usability... no
checking freetds/sybdb.h presence... no
checking for freetds/sybdb.h... no
checking for odbc_config... no
checking sql.h usability... no
checking sql.h presence... no
checking for sql.h... no
checking odbc/sql.h usability... no
checking odbc/sql.h presence... no
checking for odbc/sql.h... no
  setting LDFLAGS to
"-L/media/data/bsp/dnt8209ptxdist_git/platform-dnt3202/sysroot-target/usr/include/apr-1/lib"
  adding
"-I/media/data/bsp/dnt8209ptxdist_git/platform-dnt3202/sysroot-target/usr/include/apr-1/include"
 to CPPFLAGS
  setting APRUTIL_INCLUDES to
"-I/media/data/bsp/dnt8209ptxdist_git/platform-dnt3202/sysroot-target/usr/include/apr-1/include"
  setting APRUTIL_LDFLAGS to
"-L/media/data/bsp/dnt8209ptxdist_git/platform-dnt3202/sysroot-target/usr/include/apr-1/lib"
checking Expat 1.95.x... yes
  setting APRUTIL_EXPORT_LIBS to "-lexpat"
  setting APRUTIL_LIBS to "-lexpat"
checking iconv.h usability... yes
checking iconv.h presence... yes
checking for iconv.h... yes
checking for type of inbuf parameter to iconv... char **
checking for iconv.h... (cached) yes
checking langinfo.h usability... yes
checking langinfo.h presence... yes
checking for langinfo.h... yes
checking for nl_langinfo... yes
checking for CODESET in langinfo.h... yes
checking whether APR has DSO support... yes
checking for library containing crypt... -lcrypt
checking if system crypt() function is threadsafe... no
checking for crypt_r... yes
checking style of crypt_r... struct_crypt_data
  adding "/usr/lib/libapr-1.la" to APRUTIL_LIBS
  adding "-luuid" to APRUTIL_LIBS
  adding "-lrt" to APRUTIL_LIBS
  adding "-lcrypt" to APRUTIL_LIBS
  adding "-lpthread" to APRUTIL_LIBS
  adding "-ldl" to APRUTIL_LIBS
configure: creating ./config.status
config.status: creating Makefile
config.status: creating export_vars.sh
config.status: creating build/pkg/pkginfo
config.status: creating apr-util.pc
config.status: creating apu-1-config
config.status: creating include/private/apu_select_dbm.h
config.status: creating include/apr_ldap.h
config.status: creating include/apu.h
config.status: creating include/apu_want.h
config.status: creating test/Makefile
config.status: creating include/private/apu_config.h
config.status: executing default commands
finished target apr-util.prepare