If ncurses is configured with "--disable-root-env", fbterm FTBFS.  The
reason is that with that option ncurses programs ignore the TERMINFO
variable when run as root, or even under fakeroot.  From my build log:

,----
| TERMINFO=/tmp/fbterm-1.7/debian/fbterm/usr/share/terminfo tic fbterm
| "fbterm", line 2, terminal 'fbterm': /etc/terminfo/f: permission denied
| make[3]: *** [Makefile:424: install-data-local] Error 1
| make[3]: Leaving directory '/tmp/fbterm-1.7/terminfo'
| make[2]: *** [Makefile:317: install-am] Error 2
| make[2]: Leaving directory '/tmp/fbterm-1.7/terminfo'
| make[1]: *** [Makefile:378: install-recursive] Error 1
| make[1]: Leaving directory '/tmp/fbterm-1.7'
| dh_auto_install: error: make -j2 install DESTDIR=/tmp/fbterm-1.7/debian/fbterm AM_UPDATE_INFO_DIR=no returned exit code 2
| make: *** [debian/rules:4: binary] Error 25
`----

For the reasons why I am considering the "--disable-root-env" option in
ncurses, see #1034372.

Control: tags -1 + patch

The attached patch takes care of that by using tic's -o option instead
of the TERMINFO variable.  I find it rather strange that you are
patching both Makefile.am and Makefile.in, as the latter should be
regenerated from the former, but whatever.

BTW, my suggestion to let ncurses-term take over the fbterm terminfo
entry (see #897959) still holds.

Cheers,
       Sven