Compile an old project using autotools - c++

Question

I have been struggling with this error when I try to run the configure script. It is a 12 years old library. First I tried to generate the configure script by using modern version of all the autotools and GCC.
Then, I tried to generate it by using tools versions of that time but when I run the configure file I still get the same errors which is always the broken variable CPPFLAGS
Here is the configure error:
checking for GMP library... checking for gmp.h...
configure: error: Could not find gmp.h header
Here is the config.log section which describe the error:
configure:22748: gcc34 -c -g -O2 -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/$(srcdir); export srcdir; \
/home/vicente/sfslite/async -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/$(srcdir); export srcdir; \
/home/vicente/sfslite/arpc -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/$(srcdir); export srcdir; \
/home/vicente/sfslite/crypt -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/$(srcdir); export srcdir; \
/home/vicente/sfslite/sfsmisc -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/$(srcdir); export srcdir; \
/home/vicente/sfslite/libsfs -I/home/vicente/build/chord/../sfslite/svc -I/usr/include conftest.c >&5
gcc34: export: No such file or directory
gcc34: srcdir;: No such file or directory
gcc34: \: No such file or directory
gcc34: export: No such file or directory
gcc34: srcdir;: No such file or directory
gcc34: \: No such file or directory
gcc34: export: No such file or directory
gcc34: srcdir;: No such file or directory
gcc34: \: No such file or directory
gcc34: export: No such file or directory
gcc34: srcdir;: No such file or directory
gcc34: \: No such file or directory
gcc34: export: No such file or directory
gcc34: srcdir;: No such file or directory
gcc34: \: No such file or directory
configure:22754: $? = 1
configure: failed program was:
I wonder if there is someone who went through a similar problem.
Thanks!
Version of tools:
GCC 3.4, 4.4, 4.7.2
Autoconf/aclocal/autoheader 2.59, 2.69
Automake 1.9.6, 1.15
OS: Centos 5.9, Ubuntu 12.04 all of them 64bits
Link of the program:
https://github.com/sit/dht
EDITED:
Here is the section of the configure script around the line 22754:
cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
/* end confdefs.h. */
#include "gmp.h"
int
main ()
{
0
;
return 0;
}
_ACEOF
rm -f conftest.$ac_objext
if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compile\"") >&5
(eval $ac_compile) 2>conftest.er1
ac_status=$?
grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
rm -f conftest.er1
cat conftest.err >&5
echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5 # line 22754
(exit $ac_status); } &&
{ ac_try='test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag"
|| test ! -s conftest.err'
{ (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
(eval $ac_try) 2>&5
ac_status=$?
echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
(exit $ac_status); }; } &&
{ ac_try='test -s conftest.$ac_objext'
{ (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
(eval $ac_try) 2>&5
ac_status=$?
echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
(exit $ac_status); }; }; then
sfs_cv_gmp_h="${iflags}"; break
else
echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
fi