This is make.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.2 from make.texi.
INFO-DIR-SECTION GNU Packages
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Make: (make). Remake files automatically.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
This file documents the GNU Make utility, which determines
automatically which pieces of a large program need to be recompiled,
and issues the commands to recompile them.
This is Edition 0.60, last updated 08 July 2002, of `The GNU Make
Manual', for `make', Version 3.80.
Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
Free Documentation License".
File: make.info, Node: Directory Variables, Next: Standard Targets, Prev: Command Variables, Up: Makefile Conventions
Variables for Installation Directories
======================================
Installation directories should always be named by variables, so it
is easy to install in a nonstandard place. The standard names for these
variables are described below. They are based on a standard filesystem
layout; variants of it are used in SVR4, 4.4BSD, GNU/Linux, Ultrix v4,
and other modern operating systems.
These two variables set the root for the installation. All the other
installation directories should be subdirectories of one of these two,
and nothing should be directly installed into these two directories.
`prefix'
A prefix used in constructing the default values of the variables
listed below. The default value of `prefix' should be
`/usr/local'. When building the complete GNU system, the prefix
will be empty and `/usr' will be a symbolic link to `/'. (If you
are using Autoconf, write it as `@prefix@'.)
Running `make install' with a different value of `prefix' from the
one used to build the program should _not_ recompile the program.
`exec_prefix'
A prefix used in constructing the default values of some of the
variables listed below. The default value of `exec_prefix' should
be `$(prefix)'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@exec_prefix@'.)
Generally, `$(exec_prefix)' is used for directories that contain
machine-specific files (such as executables and subroutine
libraries), while `$(prefix)' is used directly for other
directories.
Running `make install' with a different value of `exec_prefix'
from the one used to build the program should _not_ recompile the
program.
Executable programs are installed in one of the following
directories.
`bindir'
The directory for installing executable programs that users can
run. This should normally be `/usr/local/bin', but write it as
`$(exec_prefix)/bin'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@bindir@'.)
`sbindir'
The directory for installing executable programs that can be run
from the shell, but are only generally useful to system
administrators. This should normally be `/usr/local/sbin', but
write it as `$(exec_prefix)/sbin'. (If you are using Autoconf,
write it as `@sbindir@'.)
`libexecdir'
The directory for installing executable programs to be run by other
programs rather than by users. This directory should normally be
`/usr/local/libexec', but write it as `$(exec_prefix)/libexec'.
(If you are using Autoconf, write it as `@libexecdir@'.)
Data files used by the program during its execution are divided into
categories in two ways.
* Some files are normally modified by programs; others are never
normally modified (though users may edit some of these).
* Some files are architecture-independent and can be shared by all
machines at a site; some are architecture-dependent and can be
shared only by machines of the same kind and operating system;
others may never be shared between two machines.
This makes for six different possibilities. However, we want to
discourage the use of architecture-dependent files, aside from object
files and libraries. It is much cleaner to make other data files
architecture-independent, and it is generally not hard.
Therefore, here are the variables Makefiles should use to specify
directories:
`datadir'
The directory for installing read-only architecture independent
data files. This should normally be `/usr/local/share', but write
it as `$(prefix)/share'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@datadir@'.) As a special exception, see `$(infodir)' and
`$(includedir)' below.
`sysconfdir'
The directory for installing read-only data files that pertain to a
single machine-that is to say, files for configuring a host.
Mailer and network configuration files, `/etc/passwd', and so
forth belong here. All the files in this directory should be
ordinary ASCII text files. This directory should normally be
`/usr/local/etc', but write it as `$(prefix)/etc'. (If you are
using Autoconf, write it as `@sysconfdir@'.)
Do not install executables here in this directory (they probably
belong in `$(libexecdir)' or `$(sbindir)'). Also do not install
files that are modified in the normal course of their use (programs
whose purpose is to change the configuration of the system
excluded). Those probably belong in `$(localstatedir)'.
`sharedstatedir'
The directory for installing architecture-independent data files
which the programs modify while they run. This should normally be
`/usr/local/com', but write it as `$(prefix)/com'. (If you are
using Autoconf, write it as `@sharedstatedir@'.)
`localstatedir'
The directory for installing data files which the programs modify
while they run, and that pertain to one specific machine. Users
should never need to modify files in this directory to configure
the package's operation; put such configuration information in
separate files that go in `$(datadir)' or `$(sysconfdir)'.
`$(localstatedir)' should normally be `/usr/local/var', but write
it as `$(prefix)/var'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@localstatedir@'.)
`libdir'
The directory for object files and libraries of object code. Do
not install executables here, they probably ought to go in
`$(libexecdir)' instead. The value of `libdir' should normally be
`/usr/local/lib', but write it as `$(exec_prefix)/lib'. (If you
are using Autoconf, write it as `@libdir@'.)
`infodir'
The directory for installing the Info files for this package. By
default, it should be `/usr/local/info', but it should be written
as `$(prefix)/info'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@infodir@'.)
`lispdir'
The directory for installing any Emacs Lisp files in this package.
By default, it should be `/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp', but
it should be written as `$(prefix)/share/emacs/site-lisp'.
If you are using Autoconf, write the default as `@lispdir@'. In
order to make `@lispdir@' work, you need the following lines in
your `configure.in' file:
lispdir='${datadir}/emacs/site-lisp'
AC_SUBST(lispdir)
`includedir'
The directory for installing header files to be included by user
programs with the C `#include' preprocessor directive. This
should normally be `/usr/local/include', but write it as
`$(prefix)/include'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
`@includedir@'.)
Most compilers other than GCC do not look for header files in
directory `/usr/local/include'. So installing the header files
this way is only useful with GCC. Sometimes this is not a problem
because some libraries are only really intended to work with GCC.
But some libraries are intended to work with other compilers.
They should install their header files in two places, one
specified by `includedir' and one specified by `oldincludedir'.
`oldincludedir'
The directory for installing `#include' header files for use with
compilers other than GCC. This should normally be `/usr/include'.
(If you are using Autoconf, you can write it as `@oldincludedir@'.)
The Makefile commands should check whether the value of
`oldincludedir' is empty. If it is, they should not try to use
it; they should cancel the second installation of the header files.
A package should not replace an existing header in this directory
unless the header came from the same package. Thus, if your Foo
package provides a header file `foo.h', then it should install the
header file in the `oldincludedir' directory if either (1) there
is no `foo.h' there or (2) the `foo.h' that exists came from the
Foo package.
To tell whether `foo.h' came from the Foo package, put a magic
string in the file--part of a comment--and `grep' for that string.
Unix-style man pages are installed in one of the following:
`mandir'
The top-level directory for installing the man pages (if any) for
this package. It will normally be `/usr/local/man', but you should
write it as `$(prefix)/man'. (If you are using Autoconf, write it
as `@mandir@'.)
`man1dir'
The directory for installing section 1 man pages. Write it as
`$(mandir)/man1'.
`man2dir'
The directory for installing section 2 man pages. Write it as
`$(mandir)/man2'
`...'
*Don't make the primary documentation for any GNU software be a
man page. Write a manual in Texinfo instead. Man pages are just
for the sake of people running GNU software on Unix, which is a
secondary application only.*
`manext'
The file name extension for the installed man page. This should
contain a period followed by the appropriate digit; it should
normally be `.1'.
`man1ext'
The file name extension for installed section 1 man pages.
`man2ext'
The file name extension for installed section 2 man pages.
`...'
Use these names instead of `manext' if the package needs to
install man pages in more than one section of the manual.
And finally, you should set the following variable:
`srcdir'
The directory for the sources being compiled. The value of this
variable is normally inserted by the `configure' shell script.
(If you are using Autconf, use `srcdir = @srcdir@'.)
For example:
# Common prefix for installation directories.
# NOTE: This directory must exist when you start the install.
prefix = /usr/local
exec_prefix = $(prefix)
# Where to put the executable for the command `gcc'.
bindir = $(exec_prefix)/bin
# Where to put the directories used by the compiler.
libexecdir = $(exec_prefix)/libexec
# Where to put the Info files.
infodir = $(prefix)/info
If your program installs a large number of files into one of the
standard user-specified directories, it might be useful to group them
into a subdirectory particular to that program. If you do this, you
should write the `install' rule to create these subdirectories.
Do not expect the user to include the subdirectory name in the value
of any of the variables listed above. The idea of having a uniform set
of variable names for installation directories is to enable the user to
specify the exact same values for several different GNU packages. In
order for this to be useful, all the packages must be designed so that
they will work sensibly when the user does so.
File: make.info, Node: Standard Targets, Next: Install Command Categories, Prev: Directory Variables, Up: Makefile Conventions
Standard Targets for Users
==========================
All GNU programs should have the following targets in their
Makefiles:
`all'
Compile the entire program. This should be the default target.
This target need not rebuild any documentation files; Info files
should normally be included in the distribution, and DVI files
should be made only when explicitly asked for.
By default, the Make rules should compile and link with `-g', so
that executable programs have debugging symbols. Users who don't
mind being helpless can strip the executables later if they wish.
`install'
Compile the program and copy the executables, libraries, and so on
to the file names where they should reside for actual use. If
there is a simple test to verify that a program is properly
installed, this target should run that test.
Do not strip executables when installing them. Devil-may-care
users can use the `install-strip' target to do that.
If possible, write the `install' target rule so that it does not
modify anything in the directory where the program was built,
provided `make all' has just been done. This is convenient for
building the program under one user name and installing it under
another.
The commands should create all the directories in which files are
to be installed, if they don't already exist. This includes the
directories specified as the values of the variables `prefix' and
`exec_prefix', as well as all subdirectories that are needed. One
way to do this is by means of an `installdirs' target as described
below.
Use `-' before any command for installing a man page, so that
`make' will ignore any errors. This is in case there are systems
that don't have the Unix man page documentation system installed.
The way to install Info files is to copy them into `$(infodir)'
with `$(INSTALL_DATA)' (*note Command Variables::), and then run
the `install-info' program if it is present. `install-info' is a
program that edits the Info `dir' file to add or update the menu
entry for the given Info file; it is part of the Texinfo package.
Here is a sample rule to install an Info file:
$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info: foo.info
$(POST_INSTALL)
# There may be a newer info file in . than in srcdir.
-if test -f foo.info; then d=.; \
else d=$(srcdir); fi; \
$(INSTALL_DATA) $$d/foo.info $(DESTDIR)$@; \
# Run install-info only if it exists.
# Use `if' instead of just prepending `-' to the
# line so we notice real errors from install-info.
# We use `$(SHELL) -c' because some shells do not
# fail gracefully when there is an unknown command.
if $(SHELL) -c 'install-info --version' \
>/dev/null 2>&1; then \
install-info --dir-file=$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/dir \
$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info; \
else true; fi
When writing the `install' target, you must classify all the
commands into three categories: normal ones, "pre-installation"
commands and "post-installation" commands. *Note Install Command
Categories::.
`uninstall'
Delete all the installed files--the copies that the `install'
target creates.
This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is
done, only the directories where files are installed.
The uninstallation commands are divided into three categories,
just like the installation commands. *Note Install Command
Categories::.
`install-strip'
Like `install', but strip the executable files while installing
them. In simple cases, this target can use the `install' target in
a simple way:
install-strip:
$(MAKE) INSTALL_PROGRAM='$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) -s' \
install
But if the package installs scripts as well as real executables,
the `install-strip' target can't just refer to the `install'
target; it has to strip the executables but not the scripts.
`install-strip' should not strip the executables in the build
directory which are being copied for installation. It should only
strip the copies that are installed.
Normally we do not recommend stripping an executable unless you
are sure the program has no bugs. However, it can be reasonable
to install a stripped executable for actual execution while saving
the unstripped executable elsewhere in case there is a bug.
`clean'
Delete all files from the current directory that are normally
created by building the program. Don't delete the files that
record the configuration. Also preserve files that could be made
by building, but normally aren't because the distribution comes
with them.
Delete `.dvi' files here if they are not part of the distribution.
`distclean'
Delete all files from the current directory that are created by
configuring or building the program. If you have unpacked the
source and built the program without creating any other files,
`make distclean' should leave only the files that were in the
distribution.
`mostlyclean'
Like `clean', but may refrain from deleting a few files that people
normally don't want to recompile. For example, the `mostlyclean'
target for GCC does not delete `libgcc.a', because recompiling it
is rarely necessary and takes a lot of time.
`maintainer-clean'
Delete almost everything from the current directory that can be
reconstructed with this Makefile. This typically includes
everything deleted by `distclean', plus more: C source files
produced by Bison, tags tables, Info files, and so on.
The reason we say "almost everything" is that running the command
`make maintainer-clean' should not delete `configure' even if
`configure' can be remade using a rule in the Makefile. More
generally, `make maintainer-clean' should not delete anything that
needs to exist in order to run `configure' and then begin to build
the program. This is the only exception; `maintainer-clean' should
delete everything else that can be rebuilt.
The `maintainer-clean' target is intended to be used by a
maintainer of the package, not by ordinary users. You may need
special tools to reconstruct some of the files that `make
maintainer-clean' deletes. Since these files are normally
included in the distribution, we don't take care to make them easy
to reconstruct. If you find you need to unpack the full
distribution again, don't blame us.
To help make users aware of this, the commands for the special
`maintainer-clean' target should start with these two:
@echo 'This command is intended for maintainers to use; it'
@echo 'deletes files that may need special tools to rebuild.'
`TAGS'
Update a tags table for this program.
`info'
Generate any Info files needed. The best way to write the rules
is as follows:
info: foo.info
foo.info: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
$(MAKEINFO) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
You must define the variable `MAKEINFO' in the Makefile. It should
run the `makeinfo' program, which is part of the Texinfo
distribution.
Normally a GNU distribution comes with Info files, and that means
the Info files are present in the source directory. Therefore,
the Make rule for an info file should update it in the source
directory. When users build the package, ordinarily Make will not
update the Info files because they will already be up to date.
`dvi'
Generate DVI files for all Texinfo documentation. For example:
dvi: foo.dvi
foo.dvi: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
$(TEXI2DVI) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
You must define the variable `TEXI2DVI' in the Makefile. It should
run the program `texi2dvi', which is part of the Texinfo
distribution.(1) Alternatively, write just the dependencies, and
allow GNU `make' to provide the command.
`dist'
Create a distribution tar file for this program. The tar file
should be set up so that the file names in the tar file start with
a subdirectory name which is the name of the package it is a
distribution for. This name can include the version number.
For example, the distribution tar file of GCC version 1.40 unpacks
into a subdirectory named `gcc-1.40'.
The easiest way to do this is to create a subdirectory
appropriately named, use `ln' or `cp' to install the proper files
in it, and then `tar' that subdirectory.
Compress the tar file with `gzip'. For example, the actual
distribution file for GCC version 1.40 is called `gcc-1.40.tar.gz'.
The `dist' target should explicitly depend on all non-source files
that are in the distribution, to make sure they are up to date in
the distribution. *Note Making Releases: (standards)Releases.
`check'
Perform self-tests (if any). The user must build the program
before running the tests, but need not install the program; you
should write the self-tests so that they work when the program is
built but not installed.
The following targets are suggested as conventional names, for
programs in which they are useful.
`installcheck'
Perform installation tests (if any). The user must build and
install the program before running the tests. You should not
assume that `$(bindir)' is in the search path.
`installdirs'
It's useful to add a target named `installdirs' to create the
directories where files are installed, and their parent
directories. There is a script called `mkinstalldirs' which is
convenient for this; you can find it in the Texinfo package. You
can use a rule like this:
# Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
# actually exist by making them if necessary.
installdirs: mkinstalldirs
$(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs $(bindir) $(datadir) \
$(libdir) $(infodir) \
$(mandir)
or, if you wish to support `DESTDIR',
# Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
# actually exist by making them if necessary.
installdirs: mkinstalldirs
$(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs \
$(DESTDIR)$(bindir) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir) \
$(DESTDIR)$(libdir) $(DESTDIR)$(infodir) \
$(DESTDIR)$(mandir)
This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is
done. It should do nothing but create installation directories.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) `texi2dvi' uses TeX to do the real work of formatting. TeX is
not distributed with Texinfo.
File: make.info, Node: Install Command Categories, Prev: Standard Targets, Up: Makefile Conventions
Install Command Categories
==========================
When writing the `install' target, you must classify all the
commands into three categories: normal ones, "pre-installation"
commands and "post-installation" commands.
Normal commands move files into their proper places, and set their
modes. They may not alter any files except the ones that come entirely
from the package they belong to.
Pre-installation and post-installation commands may alter other
files; in particular, they can edit global configuration files or data
bases.
Pre-installation commands are typically executed before the normal
commands, and post-installation commands are typically run after the
normal commands.
The most common use for a post-installation command is to run
`install-info'. This cannot be done with a normal command, since it
alters a file (the Info directory) which does not come entirely and
solely from the package being installed. It is a post-installation
command because it needs to be done after the normal command which
installs the package's Info files.
Most programs don't need any pre-installation commands, but we have
the feature just in case it is needed.
To classify the commands in the `install' rule into these three
categories, insert "category lines" among them. A category line
specifies the category for the commands that follow.
A category line consists of a tab and a reference to a special Make
variable, plus an optional comment at the end. There are three
variables you can use, one for each category; the variable name
specifies the category. Category lines are no-ops in ordinary execution
because these three Make variables are normally undefined (and you
_should not_ define them in the makefile).
Here are the three possible category lines, each with a comment that
explains what it means:
$(PRE_INSTALL) # Pre-install commands follow.
$(POST_INSTALL) # Post-install commands follow.
$(NORMAL_INSTALL) # Normal commands follow.
If you don't use a category line at the beginning of the `install'
rule, all the commands are classified as normal until the first category
line. If you don't use any category lines, all the commands are
classified as normal.
These are the category lines for `uninstall':
$(PRE_UNINSTALL) # Pre-uninstall commands follow.
$(POST_UNINSTALL) # Post-uninstall commands follow.
$(NORMAL_UNINSTALL) # Normal commands follow.
Typically, a pre-uninstall command would be used for deleting entries
from the Info directory.
If the `install' or `uninstall' target has any dependencies which
act as subroutines of installation, then you should start _each_
dependency's commands with a category line, and start the main target's
commands with a category line also. This way, you can ensure that each
command is placed in the right category regardless of which of the
dependencies actually run.
Pre-installation and post-installation commands should not run any
programs except for these:
[ basename bash cat chgrp chmod chown cmp cp dd diff echo
egrep expand expr false fgrep find getopt grep gunzip gzip
hostname install install-info kill ldconfig ln ls md5sum
mkdir mkfifo mknod mv printenv pwd rm rmdir sed sort tee
test touch true uname xargs yes
The reason for distinguishing the commands in this way is for the
sake of making binary packages. Typically a binary package contains
all the executables and other files that need to be installed, and has
its own method of installing them--so it does not need to run the normal
installation commands. But installing the binary package does need to
execute the pre-installation and post-installation commands.
Programs to build binary packages work by extracting the
pre-installation and post-installation commands. Here is one way of
extracting the pre-installation commands:
make -n install -o all \
PRE_INSTALL=pre-install \
POST_INSTALL=post-install \
NORMAL_INSTALL=normal-install \
| gawk -f pre-install.awk
where the file `pre-install.awk' could contain this:
$0 ~ /^\t[ \t]*(normal_install|post_install)[ \t]*$/ {on = 0}
on {print $0}
$0 ~ /^\t[ \t]*pre_install[ \t]*$/ {on = 1}
The resulting file of pre-installation commands is executed as a
shell script as part of installing the binary package.
File: make.info, Node: Quick Reference, Next: Error Messages, Prev: Makefile Conventions, Up: Top
Quick Reference
***************
This appendix summarizes the directives, text manipulation functions,
and special variables which GNU `make' understands. *Note Special
Targets::, *Note Catalogue of Implicit Rules: Catalogue of Rules, and
*Note Summary of Options: Options Summary, for other summaries.
Here is a summary of the directives GNU `make' recognizes:
`define VARIABLE'
`endef'
Define a multi-line, recursively-expanded variable.
*Note Sequences::.
`ifdef VARIABLE'
`ifndef VARIABLE'
`ifeq (A,B)'
`ifeq "A" "B"'
`ifeq 'A' 'B''
`ifneq (A,B)'
`ifneq "A" "B"'
`ifneq 'A' 'B''
`else'
`endif'
Conditionally evaluate part of the makefile.
*Note Conditionals::.
`include FILE'
`-include FILE'
`sinclude FILE'
Include another makefile.
*Note Including Other Makefiles: Include.
`override VARIABLE = VALUE'
`override VARIABLE := VALUE'
`override VARIABLE += VALUE'
`override VARIABLE ?= VALUE'
`override define VARIABLE'
`endef'
Define a variable, overriding any previous definition, even one
from the command line.
*Note The `override' Directive: Override Directive.
`export'
Tell `make' to export all variables to child processes by default.
*Note Communicating Variables to a Sub-`make': Variables/Recursion.
`export VARIABLE'
`export VARIABLE = VALUE'
`export VARIABLE := VALUE'
`export VARIABLE += VALUE'
`export VARIABLE ?= VALUE'
`unexport VARIABLE'
Tell `make' whether or not to export a particular variable to child
processes.
*Note Communicating Variables to a Sub-`make': Variables/Recursion.
`vpath PATTERN PATH'
Specify a search path for files matching a `%' pattern.
*Note The `vpath' Directive: Selective Search.
`vpath PATTERN'
Remove all search paths previously specified for PATTERN.
`vpath'
Remove all search paths previously specified in any `vpath'
directive.
Here is a summary of the text manipulation functions (*note
Functions::):
`$(subst FROM,TO,TEXT)'
Replace FROM with TO in TEXT.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(patsubst PATTERN,REPLACEMENT,TEXT)'
Replace words matching PATTERN with REPLACEMENT in TEXT.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(strip STRING)'
Remove excess whitespace characters from STRING.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(findstring FIND,TEXT)'
Locate FIND in TEXT.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(filter PATTERN...,TEXT)'
Select words in TEXT that match one of the PATTERN words.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(filter-out PATTERN...,TEXT)'
Select words in TEXT that _do not_ match any of the PATTERN words.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(sort LIST)'
Sort the words in LIST lexicographically, removing duplicates.
*Note Functions for String Substitution and Analysis: Text
Functions.
`$(dir NAMES...)'
Extract the directory part of each file name.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(notdir NAMES...)'
Extract the non-directory part of each file name.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(suffix NAMES...)'
Extract the suffix (the last `.' and following characters) of each
file name.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(basename NAMES...)'
Extract the base name (name without suffix) of each file name.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(addsuffix SUFFIX,NAMES...)'
Append SUFFIX to each word in NAMES.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(addprefix PREFIX,NAMES...)'
Prepend PREFIX to each word in NAMES.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(join LIST1,LIST2)'
Join two parallel lists of words.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(word N,TEXT)'
Extract the Nth word (one-origin) of TEXT.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(words TEXT)'
Count the number of words in TEXT.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(wordlist S,E,TEXT)'
Returns the list of words in TEXT from S to E.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(firstword NAMES...)'
Extract the first word of NAMES.
*Note Functions for File Names: File Name Functions.
`$(wildcard PATTERN...)'
Find file names matching a shell file name pattern (_not_ a `%'
pattern).
*Note The Function `wildcard': Wildcard Function.
`$(error TEXT...)'
When this function is evaluated, `make' generates a fatal error
with the message TEXT.
*Note Functions That Control Make: Make Control Functions.
`$(warning TEXT...)'
When this function is evaluated, `make' generates a warning with
the message TEXT.
*Note Functions That Control Make: Make Control Functions.
`$(shell COMMAND)'
Execute a shell command and return its output.
*Note The `shell' Function: Shell Function.
`$(origin VARIABLE)'
Return a string describing how the `make' variable VARIABLE was
defined.
*Note The `origin' Function: Origin Function.
`$(foreach VAR,WORDS,TEXT)'
Evaluate TEXT with VAR bound to each word in WORDS, and
concatenate the results.
*Note The `foreach' Function: Foreach Function.
`$(call VAR,PARAM,...)'
Evaluate the variable VAR replacing any references to `$(1)',
`$(2)' with the first, second, etc. PARAM values.
*Note The `call' Function: Call Function.
Here is a summary of the automatic variables. *Note Automatic
Variables: Automatic, for full information.
`$@'
The file name of the target.
`$%'
The target member name, when the target is an archive member.
`$<'
The name of the first prerequisite.
`$?'
The names of all the prerequisites that are newer than the target,
with spaces between them. For prerequisites which are archive
members, only the member named is used (*note Archives::).
`$^'
`$+'
The names of all the prerequisites, with spaces between them. For
prerequisites which are archive members, only the member named is
used (*note Archives::). The value of `$^' omits duplicate
prerequisites, while `$+' retains them and preserves their order.
`$*'
The stem with which an implicit rule matches (*note How Patterns
Match: Pattern Match.).
`$(@D)'
`$(@F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$@'.
`$(*D)'
`$(*F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$*'.
`$(%D)'
`$(%F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$%'.
`$(<D)'
`$(<F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$<'.
`$(^D)'
`$(^F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$^'.
`$(+D)'
`$(+F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$+'.
`$(?D)'
`$(?F)'
The directory part and the file-within-directory part of `$?'.
These variables are used specially by GNU `make':
`MAKEFILES'
Makefiles to be read on every invocation of `make'.
*Note The Variable `MAKEFILES': MAKEFILES Variable.
`VPATH'
Directory search path for files not found in the current directory.
*Note `VPATH' Search Path for All Prerequisites: General Search.
`SHELL'
The name of the system default command interpreter, usually
`/bin/sh'. You can set `SHELL' in the makefile to change the
shell used to run commands. *Note Command Execution: Execution.
`MAKESHELL'
On MS-DOS only, the name of the command interpreter that is to be
used by `make'. This value takes precedence over the value of
`SHELL'. *Note MAKESHELL variable: Execution.
`MAKE'
The name with which `make' was invoked. Using this variable in
commands has special meaning. *Note How the `MAKE' Variable
Works: MAKE Variable.
`MAKELEVEL'
The number of levels of recursion (sub-`make's).
*Note Variables/Recursion::.
`MAKEFLAGS'
The flags given to `make'. You can set this in the environment or
a makefile to set flags.
*Note Communicating Options to a Sub-`make': Options/Recursion.
It is _never_ appropriate to use `MAKEFLAGS' directly on a command
line: its contents may not be quoted correctly for use in the
shell. Always allow recursive `make''s to obtain these values
through the environment from its parent.
`MAKECMDGOALS'
The targets given to `make' on the command line. Setting this
variable has no effect on the operation of `make'.
*Note Arguments to Specify the Goals: Goals.
`CURDIR'
Set to the pathname of the current working directory (after all
`-C' options are processed, if any). Setting this variable has no
effect on the operation of `make'.
*Note Recursive Use of `make': Recursion.
`SUFFIXES'
The default list of suffixes before `make' reads any makefiles.
`.LIBPATTERNS'
Defines the naming of the libraries `make' searches for, and their
order.
*Note Directory Search for Link Libraries: Libraries/Search.
File: make.info, Node: Error Messages, Next: Complex Makefile, Prev: Quick Reference, Up: Top
Errors Generated by Make
************************
Here is a list of the more common errors you might see generated by
`make', and some information about what they mean and how to fix them.
Sometimes `make' errors are not fatal, especially in the presence of
a `-' prefix on a command script line, or the `-k' command line option.
Errors that are fatal are prefixed with the string `***'.
Error messages are all either prefixed with the name of the program
(usually `make'), or, if the error is found in a makefile, the name of
the file and linenumber containing the problem.
In the table below, these common prefixes are left off.
`[FOO] Error NN'
`[FOO] SIGNAL DESCRIPTION'
These errors are not really `make' errors at all. They mean that a
program that `make' invoked as part of a command script returned a
non-0 error code (`Error NN'), which `make' interprets as failure,
or it exited in some other abnormal fashion (with a signal of some
type). *Note Errors in Commands: Errors.
If no `***' is attached to the message, then the subprocess failed
but the rule in the makefile was prefixed with the `-' special
character, so `make' ignored the error.
`missing separator. Stop.'
`missing separator (did you mean TAB instead of 8 spaces?). Stop.'
This means that `make' could not understand much of anything about
the command line it just read. GNU `make' looks for various kinds
of separators (`:', `=', TAB characters, etc.) to help it decide
what kind of commandline it's seeing. This means it couldn't find
a valid one.
One of the most common reasons for this message is that you (or
perhaps your oh-so-helpful editor, as is the case with many
MS-Windows editors) have attempted to indent your command scripts
with spaces instead of a TAB character. In this case, `make' will
use the second form of the error above. Remember that every line
in the command script must begin with a TAB character. Eight
spaces do not count. *Note Rule Syntax::.
`commands commence before first target. Stop.'
`missing rule before commands. Stop.'
This means the first thing in the makefile seems to be part of a
command script: it begins with a TAB character and doesn't appear
to be a legal `make' command (such as a variable assignment).
Command scripts must always be associated with a target.
The second form is generated if the line has a semicolon as the
first non-whitespace character; `make' interprets this to mean you
left out the "target: prerequisite" section of a rule. *Note Rule
Syntax::.
`No rule to make target `XXX'.'
`No rule to make target `XXX', needed by `YYY'.'
This means that `make' decided it needed to build a target, but
then couldn't find any instructions in the makefile on how to do
that, either explicit or implicit (including in the default rules
database).
If you want that file to be built, you will need to add a rule to
your makefile describing how that target can be built. Other
possible sources of this problem are typos in the makefile (if
that filename is wrong) or a corrupted source tree (if that file
is not supposed to be built, but rather only a prerequisite).
`No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.'
`No targets. Stop.'
The former means that you didn't provide any targets to be built
on the command line, and `make' couldn't find any makefiles to
read in. The latter means that some makefile was found, but it
didn't contain any default target and none was given on the
command line. GNU `make' has nothing to do in these situations.
*Note Arguments to Specify the Makefile: Makefile Arguments.
`Makefile `XXX' was not found.'
`Included makefile `XXX' was not found.'
A makefile specified on the command line (first form) or included
(second form) was not found.
`warning: overriding commands for target `XXX''
`warning: ignoring old commands for target `XXX''
GNU `make' allows commands to be specified only once per target
(except for double-colon rules). If you give commands for a target
which already has been defined to have commands, this warning is
issued and the second set of commands will overwrite the first set.
*Note Multiple Rules for One Target: Multiple Rules.
`Circular XXX <- YYY dependency dropped.'
This means that `make' detected a loop in the dependency graph:
after tracing the prerequisite YYY of target XXX, and its
prerequisites, etc., one of them depended on XXX again.
`Recursive variable `XXX' references itself (eventually). Stop.'
This means you've defined a normal (recursive) `make' variable XXX
that, when it's expanded, will refer to itself (XXX). This is not
allowed; either use simply-expanded variables (`:=') or use the
append operator (`+='). *Note How to Use Variables: Using
Variables.
`Unterminated variable reference. Stop.'
This means you forgot to provide the proper closing parenthesis or
brace in your variable or function reference.
`insufficient arguments to function `XXX'. Stop.'
This means you haven't provided the requisite number of arguments
for this function. See the documentation of the function for a
description of its arguments. *Note Functions for Transforming
Text: Functions.
`missing target pattern. Stop.'
`multiple target patterns. Stop.'
`target pattern contains no `%'. Stop.'
`mixed implicit and static pattern rules. Stop.'
These are generated for malformed static pattern rules. The first
means there's no pattern in the target section of the rule; the
second means there are multiple patterns in the target section;
the third means the target doesn't contain a pattern character
(`%'); and the fourth means that all three parts of the static
pattern rule contain pattern characters (`%')-only the first two
parts should. *Note Syntax of Static Pattern Rules: Static Usage.
`warning: -jN forced in submake: disabling jobserver mode.'
This warning and the next are generated if `make' detects error
conditions related to parallel processing on systems where
sub-`make's can communicate (*note Communicating Options to a
Sub-`make': Options/Recursion.). This warning is generated if a
recursive invocation of a `make' process is forced to have `-jN'
in its argument list (where N is greater than one). This could
happen, for example, if you set the `MAKE' environment variable to
`make -j2'. In this case, the sub-`make' doesn't communicate with
other `make' processes and will simply pretend it has two jobs of
its own.
`warning: jobserver unavailable: using -j1. Add `+' to parent make rule.'
In order for `make' processes to communicate, the parent will pass
information to the child. Since this could result in problems if
the child process isn't actually a `make', the parent will only do
this if it thinks the child is a `make'. The parent uses the
normal algorithms to determine this (*note How the `MAKE' Variable
Works: MAKE Variable.). If the makefile is constructed such that
the parent doesn't know the child is a `make' process, then the
child will receive only part of the information necessary. In
this case, the child will generate this warning message and
proceed with its build in a sequential manner.