> 
> >> Try updating to libtool-1.5nb2 per pkg/22810.  I did this and was able to
> >> finally build and install fontconfig, just now.
> > 
> >[...]
> > checking for C compiler default output... configure: error: C compiler cannot
> > create executables
> > *** Error code 77
> 
> Apropos this very thread.  Did you change "_OPSYS_RPATH_NAME = -L" to
> "_OPSYS_RPATH_NAME = -R" in defs.Darwin.mk?

Missed that one. Gets a little further than gettext-lib now :

===> Configuring for gettext-m4-0.11.5
configure: WARNING: If you wanted to set the --build type, don't use --host.
    If a cross compiler is detected then cross compile mode will be used.
checking for a BSD compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c -o root -g wheel
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for mawk... /usr/bin/awk
checking whether bmake sets ${MAKE}... yes
checking for powerpc-apple-darwin-gcc... gcc -pipe
checking for C compiler default output... configure: error: C compiler cannot
create executables
*** Error code 77

Stop.
bmake: stopped in /usr/pkgsrc/devel/gettext-m4
*** Error code 1