Why do I get "Cannot open load file" "nntp" when compiling GNUS?

Specifically, the error message is this:

  Error occurred processing gnus.el: File error (("Cannot open load file" "nntp"))

This means that nntp.el is not in Emacs's load-path, which is easy to happen when compiling using the Makefile.

Easiest solution: set EMACSLOADPATH in Makefile (idea from Glenn Gribble <glenn@netcom.com>):

  EMACSLOADPATH=/usr/local/emacs/lisp:.
  ELC= env EMACSLOADPATH=$(EMACSLOADPATH) emacs -batch -f batch-byte-compile

Another solution, in hack.el put this:

  (defun gross-hack () (setq load-path (cons "/directory" load-path)))

Then in Makefile:

  ELC= emacs -batch -l hack.el -f gross-hack -f batch-byte-compile