--- a/octMakefile.in
+++ b/octMakefile.in
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
 XBINDISTFILES = BUGS COPYING INSTALL INSTALL.OCTAVE NEWS NEWS.[0-9] \
 	PROJECTS README README.Linux README.NLP README.Windows \
-	SENDING-PATCHES THANKS octave-sh insatll-octave mkinstalldirs \
+	SENDING-PATCHES THANKS octave-sh install-octave mkinstalldirs \
 	ChangeLog ChangeLog.[0-9]
 
 BINDISTFILES = $(addprefix $(srcdir)/, $(XBINDISTFILES)) \
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@
 BINDISTSUBDIRS = libcruft liboctave src kpathsea readline info \
 	scripts doc emacs examples
 
-# Complete directories trees to distribute with binary distributions.
-BINDISTDIRS = emacs
-
 # Subdirectories in which to run clean targets.
 CLEANSUBDIRS = $(DISTSUBDIRS) glob kpathsea
 
@@ -136,22 +133,20 @@
 dist-info-files: INSTALL.OCTAVE BUGS
 .PHONY: dist-info-files
 
-links-for-dist: dist-info-files
+dist: dist-info-files
 	echo octave-$(version) > .fname
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`
 	mkdir `cat .fname`
 	ln $(DISTFILES) `cat .fname`
 	for dir in $(DISTDIRS); do ln -s ../$$dir `cat .fname`; done
-	for dir in $(DISTSUBDIRS); do mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir; cd $$dir; $(MAKE) dist; cd ..; done
-.PHONY: links-for-dist
-
-dist-tar: links-for-dist
+	for dir in $(DISTSUBDIRS); do \
+	  mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir ; \
+	  cd $$dir ; \
+	  $(MAKE) dist ; \
+	  cd .. ; \
+	done
 	tar chf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`
-.PHONY: dist-tar
-
-dist: dist-tar
-	echo octave-$(version) > .fname
 	tar xf `cat .fname`.tar
 	find `cat .fname` \( \( -name RCS -a -type d \) \
 	  -o \( -name OLD -a -type d \) -o -name "=*" \
@@ -163,11 +158,59 @@
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`/test/octave.test/qpsol
 	chmod -R a+rwX `cat .fname`
 	tar cf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
-	rm -rf `cat .fname` .fname
+	rm -rf `cat .fname`
+	gzip --best `cat .fname`.tar
+	rm -f .fname
 .PHONY: dist
 
+# Rules for making a snapshot.
+
+snapshot-version:
+	@echo "creating src/version.h"
+	@gawk '/#define OCTAVE_VERSION[ \t]*/ { \
+	  datestring = strftime("%y%m%d", systime()); \
+	  printf("#define OCTAVE_VERSION \"ss-%s\"\n", datestring); \
+	  next; \
+	} { print $$0 }' src/version.h > src/version.h.new
+	@$(top_srcdir)/move-if-change src/version.h.new src/version.h
+.PHONY: snapshot-version
+
+snapshot: snapshot-version
+	$(MAKE) dist
+.PHONY: snapshot
+
+# Rules for making a dist of just the stuff needed to run configure.
+
+conf-dist:
+	echo config-dist-$(version) > .fname
+	rm -rf `cat .fname`
+	mkdir `cat .fname`
+	ln $(CONF_DISTFILES) `cat .fname`
+	for dir in $(CONF_DISTSUBDIRS); do \
+	  mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir ; \
+	  cd $$dir ; \
+	  $(MAKE) conf-dist ; \
+	  cd .. ; \
+	done
+	tar chf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
+	rm -rf `cat .fname`
+	gzip --best `cat .fname`.tar
+	rm -f .fname
+.PHONY: conf-dist
+
 # Rules for making a binary distribution.
 
+bin-dist-type:
+	@if [ -z "$(DIST_TYPE)" ]; then \
+	  echo "***" ; \
+	  echo "*** Must specify a value for DIST_TYPE (static or dynamic)" ; \
+	  echo "***" ; \
+	  exit 1 ; \
+	else \
+	  exit 0 ; \
+	fi
+.PHONY: bin-dist-type
+
 VERSION:
 	echo $(version) > VERSION
 .PHONY: VERSION
@@ -176,23 +219,19 @@
 	echo $(target_host_type) > ARCH
 .PHONY: ARCH
 
-links-for-bin-dist: VERSION ARCH octave-bug dist-info-files
-	echo octave-$(version)-$(target_host_type) > .fname
+binary-dist: bin-dist-type VERSION ARCH octave-bug dist-info-files
+	echo octave-$(version)-$(target_host_type)-$(DIST_TYPE) > .fname
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`
 	mkdir `cat .fname`
 	ln $(BINDISTFILES) `cat .fname`
-#	for dir in $(BINDISTDIRS); do ln -s ../$$dir `cat .fname`; done
-	for dir in $(BINDISTSUBDIRS); do mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir; cd $$dir; $(MAKE) bin-dist; cd ..; done
-.PHONY: links-for-bin-dist
-
-bin-dist-tar: links-for-bin-dist
-	echo octave-$(version)-$(target_host_type) > .fname
+	for dir in $(BINDISTSUBDIRS); do \
+	  mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir ; \
+	  cd $$dir ; \
+	  $(MAKE) bin-dist ; \
+	  cd .. ; \
+	done
 	tar chf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`
-.PHONY: bin-dist-tar
-
-binary-dist bin-dist: bin-dist-tar
-	echo octave-$(version)-$(target_host_type) > .fname
 	tar xf `cat .fname`.tar
 	find `cat .fname` \( \( -name RCS -a -type d \) \
 	  -o \( -name OLD -a -type d \) -o -name "=*" \
@@ -204,39 +243,7 @@
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`/test/octave.test/qpsol
 	chmod -R a+rwX `cat .fname`
 	tar cf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
-	rm -rf `cat .fname` .fname
-.PHONY: binary-dist bin-dist
-
-# Rules for making a dist of just the stuff needed to run configure.
-
-conf-dist:
-	echo config-dist-$(version) > .fname
-	rm -rf `cat .fname`
-	mkdir `cat .fname`
-	ln $(CONF_DISTFILES) `cat .fname`
-	for dir in $(CONF_DISTSUBDIRS); do mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir; cd $$dir; $(MAKE) conf-dist; cd ..; done
-	tar chf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
 	rm -rf `cat .fname`
 	gzip --best `cat .fname`.tar
 	rm -f .fname
-.PHONY: conf-dist
-
-# Rules for making a snapshot.
-
-snapshot-z: snapshot-version
-	$(MAKE) dist
-	$(MAKE) dist-z
-.PHONY: snapshot-z
-
-snapshot: snapshot-z
-.PHONY: snapshot
-
-snapshot-version:
-	@echo "creating src/version.h"
-	@gawk '/#define OCTAVE_VERSION[ \t]*/ { \
-	  datestring = strftime("%y%m%d", systime()); \
-	  printf("#define OCTAVE_VERSION \"ss-%s\"\n", datestring); \
-	  next; \
-	} { print $$0 }' src/version.h > src/version.h.new
-	@$(top_srcdir)/move-if-change src/version.h.new src/version.h
-.PHONY: snapshot-version
+.PHONY: binary-dist