The file basics.m4 in make/autoconf is mixing two different concerns:

1) Providing utility/helper functions to the rest of the autoconf files

2) Doing basic or initial setup that does not belong elsewhere.

It should be split into two parts, so these different concerns are clearly separated.

Furthermore, the naming has not followed our standards. The functions are prefixed "BASIC_" but the file is named "basics.m4". I propose to keep the prefix and drop the plural "s" from the file name.