automake error: no proper invocation of AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE was found

You have to fix it line by line.

First, your Makefile.am required depcomp. So, you have to copy it to your folder (for this step you can run automake --add-missing so as to add missing files automatically):

cp -a /usr/share/automake-X.XX/depcomp .

Second, you have to run aclocal prior to automake:

$ aclocal

Finally, you can run automake:

$ automake
$ autoconf

Where did you copy&paste your configure.ac from? Whatever that site is, you should remove it from your bookmarks!

You are mixing the new AC_INIT way to indicate the package version, with the old AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE way to do the same thing. Don't do both. (Old and new refer to a switch that occurred 10 years ago.) Starting with Automake 1.13 the old way to call AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE with two arguments is no-longuer supported.

In your case, removing the AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE arguments, and correctly setting the AC_INIT arguement to reflect the name and version of your project should be enough.

See the automake manual for an up-to-date example of very simple configure.ac to start with.

Instead of calling automake yourself, just use autoreconf -vfi so that it runs all the relevant tools in the right order, and installs the missing files.

Try

autoreconf -i

autoreconf will bootstrap a project into a distributable state by adding missing files that are recommended or required.