I've attempted to construct a patch [attached] following my own
suggestion :), to create a new variable to allow overriding the "make
dvi" which is done as part of distcheck with another target. I named the
variable AM_DISTCHECK_DVI_TARGET (if something else seems better,
fine). The actual functional change is one line, in distdir.am:

-	  && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) dvi \
+	  && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) $(AM_DISTCHECK_DVI_TARGET) \

All else is overhead. My biggest question is about naming. I simply
AM_DISTCHECK_DVI_TARGET = dvi
for the default also in distdir.am. This necessitated adding it to the
list of AM_* variables allowed to be defined, in Variable.pm:
-  (AM_MAKEINFOHTMLFLAGS => 1,
+  (AM_DISTCHECK_DVI_TARGET => 1,
+   AM_MAKEINFOHTMLFLAGS => 1,


Would it be better to use a separate variable, like
am__distcheck_dvi_target? But then how to know if the user has defined
AM_DISTCHECK_DVI_TARGET?

Of course any and all comments welcome ... Jim? Anyone? --thanks, karl.