This patch is based on the following:

http://cvs.fedora.redhat.com/viewvc/rpms/e2fsprogs/F-7/e2fsprogs-1.39-mkinstalldirs.patch

diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/configure.in e2fsprogs-1.38/configure.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/configure.in	2005-04-06 20:44:15.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/configure.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(RANLIB, ranlib, :)
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(STRIP, strip, :)
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
+AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
 # See if we need a separate native compiler.
 if test $cross_compiling = no; then
   BUILD_CC="$CC"
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/debugfs/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/debugfs/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/debugfs/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/debugfs/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 	@$(SUBSTITUTE_UPTIME) $(srcdir)/debugfs.8.in debugfs.8
 
 installdirs:
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(man8dir)
 
 install: $(PROGS) $(MANPAGES) installdirs
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/doc/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/doc/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/doc/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/doc/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 
 install-doc-libs:
 	@$(RM) -rf $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/libext2fs.info*
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(infodir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(infodir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)
 	@for i in libext2fs.info* ; do \
 		echo "	INSTALL_DATA $(infodir)/$$i" ; \
 		$(INSTALL_DATA) $$i $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/$$i ; \
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/e2fsck/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/e2fsck/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/e2fsck/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/e2fsck/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:55.000000000 +0200
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@
 	@$(SUBSTITUTE_UPTIME) $(srcdir)/e2fsck.8.in e2fsck.8
 
 installdirs:
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(man8dir)
 
 install: $(PROGS) $(MANPAGES) installdirs
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/intl/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/intl/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/intl/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/intl/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@
 
 INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
-MKINSTALLDIRS = @MKINSTALLDIRS@
-mkinstalldirs = $(SHELL) $(MKINSTALLDIRS)
+MKDIR_P = @MKDIR_P@
+mkdir_p = @MKDIR_P@
 
 l = @INTL_LIBTOOL_SUFFIX_PREFIX@
 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/blkid/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/blkid/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/blkid/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:39:54.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/blkid/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:45:16.000000000 +0200
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@
 	@cd $(top_builddir); CONFIG_FILES=lib/blkid/blkid.pc ./config.status
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/blkid"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/blkid"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/blkid $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
 install:: all installdirs 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/e2p/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/e2p/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/e2p/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/e2p/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
 	./tst_ostype
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/e2p"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/e2p"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/e2p $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
 install:: all installdirs 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/et/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/et/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/et/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/et/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@
 	$(TAGS) $(SRCS)
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/et $(datadir)/et $(bindir) $(man1dir) $(man3dir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/et $(datadir)/et $(bindir) $(man1dir) $(man3dir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/et $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/et \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(bindir) $(DESTDIR)$(man1dir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(man3dir) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@
 @SWAPFS_CMT@	LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(LIB) DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(LIB) ./tst_byteswap
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/ext2fs"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/ext2fs"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/ext2fs $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
 install:: all $(HFILES) $(HFILES_IN) installdirs ext2fs.pc
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/Makefile.elf-lib e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/Makefile.elf-lib
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/Makefile.elf-lib	2004-12-15 17:30:39.000000000 +0100
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/Makefile.elf-lib	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 	@$(LN) ../$(ELF_LIB) ../$(ELF_SONAME)
 
 installdirs-elf-lib::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(ELF_INSTALL_DIR) $(libdir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(ELF_INSTALL_DIR) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(ELF_INSTALL_DIR) $(libdir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(ELF_INSTALL_DIR) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
 
 installdirs:: installdirs-elf-lib
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/ss/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/ss/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/ss/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/ss/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@
 	@cd $(top_builddir); CONFIG_FILES=lib/ss/ss.pc ./config.status
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/ss $(datadir)/ss $(bindir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/ss $(datadir)/ss $(bindir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/ss $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/ss \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(bindir) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/uuid/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/uuid/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/lib/uuid/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/lib/uuid/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@
 	@cd $(top_builddir); CONFIG_FILES=lib/uuid/uuid.pc ./config.status
 
 installdirs::
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(libdir) $(includedir)/uuid $(man3dir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)  \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(libdir) $(includedir)/uuid $(man3dir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)  \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/uuid $(DESTDIR)$(man3dir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/MCONFIG.in e2fsprogs-1.38/MCONFIG.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/MCONFIG.in	2005-02-04 16:43:57.000000000 +0100
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/MCONFIG.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
 INSTALL_SCRIPT = @INSTALL_SCRIPT@
-MKINSTALLDIRS = @MKINSTALLDIRS@
+MKDIR_P = @MKDIR_P@
 
 #
 # Library definitions
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/misc/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/misc/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/misc/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/misc/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@
 	@$(SUBSTITUTE_UPTIME) $(srcdir)/filefrag.8.in filefrag.8
 
 installdirs:
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(sbindir) $(root_sbindir) $(bindir) $(man1dir) $(man8dir) $(libdir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(sbindir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(sbindir) $(root_sbindir) $(bindir) $(man1dir) $(man8dir) $(libdir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(sbindir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(man1dir) $(DESTDIR)$(man8dir) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
 
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/po/Makefile.in.in e2fsprogs-1.38/po/Makefile.in.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/po/Makefile.in.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/po/Makefile.in.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -25,11 +25,10 @@
 datadir = @datadir@
 localedir = $(datadir)/locale
 gettextsrcdir = $(datadir)/gettext/po
+mkdir_p = @MKDIR_P@
 
 INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
-MKINSTALLDIRS = @MKINSTALLDIRS@
-mkinstalldirs = $(SHELL) $(MKINSTALLDIRS)
 
 GMSGFMT = @GMSGFMT@
 MSGFMT = @MSGFMT@
@@ -147,7 +146,7 @@
 install-exec:
 install-data: install-data-@USE_NLS@
 	if test "$(PACKAGE)" = "gettext-tools"; then \
-	  $(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(gettextsrcdir); \
+	  $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(gettextsrcdir); \
 	  for file in $(DISTFILES.common) Makevars.template; do \
 	    $(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/$$file \
 			    $(DESTDIR)$(gettextsrcdir)/$$file; \
@@ -160,13 +159,13 @@
 	fi
 install-data-no: all
 install-data-yes: all
-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)
+	$(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)
 	@catalogs='$(CATALOGS)'; \
 	for cat in $$catalogs; do \
 	  cat=`basename $$cat`; \
 	  lang=`echo $$cat | sed -e 's/\.gmo$$//'`; \
 	  dir=$(localedir)/$$lang/LC_MESSAGES; \
-	  $(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$$dir; \
+	  $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$$dir; \
 	  if test -r $$cat; then realcat=$$cat; else realcat=$(srcdir)/$$cat; fi; \
 	  $(INSTALL_DATA) $$realcat $(DESTDIR)$$dir/$(DOMAIN).mo; \
 	  echo "installing $$realcat as $(DESTDIR)$$dir/$(DOMAIN).mo"; \
@@ -206,19 +205,19 @@
 installdirs-exec:
 installdirs-data: installdirs-data-@USE_NLS@
 	if test "$(PACKAGE)" = "gettext-tools"; then \
-	  $(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(gettextsrcdir); \
+	  $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(gettextsrcdir); \
 	else \
 	  : ; \
 	fi
 installdirs-data-no:
 installdirs-data-yes:
-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)
+	$(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)
 	@catalogs='$(CATALOGS)'; \
 	for cat in $$catalogs; do \
 	  cat=`basename $$cat`; \
 	  lang=`echo $$cat | sed -e 's/\.gmo$$//'`; \
 	  dir=$(localedir)/$$lang/LC_MESSAGES; \
-	  $(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$$dir; \
+	  $(mkdir_p) $(DESTDIR)$$dir; \
 	  for lc in '' $(EXTRA_LOCALE_CATEGORIES); do \
 	    if test -n "$$lc"; then \
 	      if (cd $(DESTDIR)$(localedir)/$$lang && LC_ALL=C ls -l -d $$lc 2>/dev/null) | grep ' -> ' >/dev/null; then \
diff -urN e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/resize/Makefile.in e2fsprogs-1.38/resize/Makefile.in
--- e2fsprogs-1.38.orig/resize/Makefile.in	2005-06-29 19:42:20.000000000 +0200
+++ e2fsprogs-1.38/resize/Makefile.in	2008-10-16 23:44:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@
 	@$(CC) $(ALL_LDFLAGS) -o test_extent $(TEST_EXTENT_OBJS) $(LIBS) 
 
 installdirs:
-	@echo "	MKINSTALLDIRS $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
-	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
+	@echo "	MKDIR_P $(root_sbindir) $(man8dir)"
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(root_sbindir) \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(man8dir)
 
 install: $(PROGS) $(MANPAGES) installdirs