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GNU make

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 0.71, last updated 19 July 2010, of The GNU Make Manual, for GNU make version 3.82.

Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 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 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover Texts being “A GNU Manual,” and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License.”

(a) The FSF’s Back-Cover Text is: “You have the freedom to copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.”

1. Overview of make  
2. An Introduction to Makefiles   An introduction to make.
3. Writing Makefiles   Makefiles tell make what to do.
4. Writing Rules   Rules describe when a file must be remade.
5. Writing Recipes in Rules   Recipes say how to remake a file.
6. How to Use Variables   You can use variables to avoid repetition.
7. Conditional Parts of Makefiles   Use or ignore parts of the makefile based on the values of variables.
8. Functions for Transforming Text   Many powerful ways to manipulate text.
9. How to Run make   How to invoke make on the command line.
10. Using Implicit Rules   Use implicit rules to treat many files alike, based on their file names.
11. Using make to Update Archive Files   How make can update library archives.
12. Features of GNU make   Features GNU make has over other makes.
13. Incompatibilities and Missing Features   What GNU make lacks from other makes.
14. Makefile Conventions   Conventions for writing makefiles for GNU programs.
A. Quick Reference   A quick reference for experienced users.
B. Errors Generated by Make   A list of common errors generated by make.
C. Complex Makefile Example   A real example of a straightforward, but nontrivial, makefile.
C.1 GNU Free Documentation License   License for copying this manual
Index of Concepts  
Index of Functions, Variables, & Directives  
 — The Detailed Node Listing —

Overview of make
• Preparing   Preparing and running make
1.1 How to Read This Manual   On reading this text
1.2 Problems and Bugs   Problems and bugs 
An Introduction to Makefiles
2.1 What a Rule Looks Like   What a rule looks like.
2.2 A Simple Makefile   A simple makefile
2.3 How make Processes a Makefile   How make processes this makefile
2.4 Variables Make Makefiles Simpler   Variables make makefiles simpler
2.5 Letting make Deduce the Recipes   Letting make deduce the recipe
2.6 Another Style of Makefile   Another style of makefile
2.7 Rules for Cleaning the Directory   Rules for cleaning the directory 
Writing Makefiles
3.1 What Makefiles Contain   What makefiles contain.
3.2 What Name to Give Your Makefile   How to name your makefile.
3.3 Including Other Makefiles   How one makefile can use another makefile.
3.4 The Variable MAKEFILES   The environment can specify extra makefiles.
3.5 How Makefiles Are Remade   How makefiles get remade.
3.6 Overriding Part of Another Makefile   How to override part of one makefile with another makefile.
3.7 How make Reads a Makefile   How makefiles are parsed.
3.8 Secondary Expansion   How and when secondary expansion is performed. 
Writing Rules
4.1 Rule Example   An example explained.
4.2 Rule Syntax   General syntax explained.
4.3 Types of Prerequisites   There are two types of prerequisites.
4.4 Using Wildcard Characters in File Names   Using wildcard characters such as ‘*’.
4.5 Searching Directories for Prerequisites   Searching other directories for source files.
4.6 Phony Targets   Using a target that is not a real file’s name.
4.7 Rules without Recipes or Prerequisites   You can use a target without a recipe or prerequisites to mark other targets as phony.
4.8 Empty Target Files to Record Events   When only the date matters and the files are empty.
4.9 Special Built-in Target Names   Targets with special built-in meanings.
4.10 Multiple Targets in a Rule   When to make use of several targets in a rule.
4.11 Multiple Rules for One Target   How to use several rules with the same target.
4.12 Static Pattern Rules   Static pattern rules apply to multiple targets and can vary the prerequisites according to the target name.
4.13 Double-Colon Rules   How to use a special kind of rule to allow several independent rules for one target.
4.14 Generating Prerequisites Automatically   How to automatically generate rules giving prerequisites from source files themselves. 
Using Wildcard Characters in File Names
4.4.1 Wildcard Examples   Several examples
4.4.2 Pitfalls of Using Wildcards   Problems to avoid.
4.4.3 The Function wildcard   How to cause wildcard expansion where it does not normally take place. 
Searching Directories for Prerequisites
4.5.1 VPATH: Search Path for All Prerequisites   Specifying a search path that applies to every prerequisite.
4.5.2 The vpath Directive   Specifying a search path for a specified class of names.
4.5.3 How Directory Searches are Performed   When and how search paths are applied.
4.5.4 Writing Recipes with Directory Search   How to write recipes that work together with search paths.
4.5.5 Directory Search and Implicit Rules   How search paths affect implicit rules.
4.5.6 Directory Search for Link Libraries   Directory search for link libraries. 
Static Pattern Rules
4.12.1 Syntax of Static Pattern Rules   The syntax of static pattern rules.
4.12.2 Static Pattern Rules versus Implicit Rules   When are they better than implicit rules? 
Writing Recipes in Rules
5.1 Recipe Syntax   Recipe syntax features and pitfalls.
5.2 Recipe Echoing   How to control when recipes are echoed.
5.3 Recipe Execution   How recipes are executed.
5.4 Parallel Execution   How recipes can be executed in parallel.
5.5 Errors in Recipes   What happens after a recipe execution error.
5.6 Interrupting or Killing make   What happens when a recipe is interrupted.
5.7 Recursive Use of make   Invoking make from makefiles.
5.8 Defining Canned Recipes   Defining canned recipes.
5.9 Using Empty Recipes   Defining useful, do-nothing recipes. 
Recipe Syntax
5.1.1 Splitting Recipe Lines   Breaking long recipe lines for readability.
5.1.2 Using Variables in Recipes   Using make variables in recipes. 
Recipe Execution
5.3.2 Choosing the Shell   How make chooses the shell used to run recipes. 
Recursive Use of make
5.7.1 How the MAKE Variable Works   The special effects of using ‘$(MAKE)’.
5.7.2 Communicating Variables to a Sub-make   How to communicate variables to a sub-make.
5.7.3 Communicating Options to a Sub-make   How to communicate options to a sub-make.
5.7.4 The ‘--print-directory’ Option   How the ‘-w’ or ‘--print-directory’ option helps debug use of recursive make commands. 
How to Use Variables
6.1 Basics of Variable References   How to use the value of a variable.
6.2 The Two Flavors of Variables   Variables come in two flavors.
6.3 Advanced Features for Reference to Variables   Advanced features for referencing a variable.
6.4 How Variables Get Their Values   All the ways variables get their values.
6.5 Setting Variables   How to set a variable in the makefile.
6.6 Appending More Text to Variables   How to append more text to the old value of a variable.
6.7 The override Directive   How to set a variable in the makefile even if the user has set it with a command argument.
6.8 Defining Multi-Line Variables   An alternate way to set a variable to a multi-line string.
6.10 Variables from the Environment   Variable values can come from the environment.
6.11 Target-specific Variable Values   Variable values can be defined on a per-target basis.
6.12 Pattern-specific Variable Values   Target-specific variable values can be applied to a group of targets that match a pattern.
6.13 Suppressing Inheritance   Suppress inheritance of variables.
6.14 Other Special Variables   Variables with special meaning or behavior. 
Advanced Features for Reference to Variables
6.3.1 Substitution References   Referencing a variable with substitutions on the value.
6.3.2 Computed Variable Names   Computing the name of the variable to refer to. 
Conditional Parts of Makefiles
7.1 Example of a Conditional   Example of a conditional
7.2 Syntax of Conditionals   The syntax of conditionals.
7.3 Conditionals that Test Flags   Conditionals that test flags. 
Functions for Transforming Text
8.1 Function Call Syntax   How to write a function call.
8.2 Functions for String Substitution and Analysis   General-purpose text manipulation functions.
8.3 Functions for File Names   Functions for manipulating file names.
8.4 Functions for Conditionals   Functions that implement conditions.
8.5 The foreach Function   Repeat some text with controlled variation.
8.6 The call Function   Expand a user-defined function.
8.7 The value Function   Return the un-expanded value of a variable.
8.8 The eval Function   Evaluate the arguments as makefile syntax.
8.9 The origin Function   Find where a variable got its value.
8.10 The flavor Function   Find out the flavor of a variable.
8.11 The shell Function   Substitute the output of a shell command.
8.12 Functions That Control Make   Functions that control how make runs. 
How to Run make
9.1 Arguments to Specify the Makefile   How to specify which makefile to use.
9.2 Arguments to Specify the Goals   How to use goal arguments to specify which parts of the makefile to use.
9.3 Instead of Executing Recipes   How to use mode flags to specify what kind of thing to do with the recipes in the makefile other than simply execute them.
9.4 Avoiding Recompilation of Some Files   How to avoid recompiling certain files.
9.5 Overriding Variables   How to override a variable to specify an alternate compiler and other things.
9.6 Testing the Compilation of a Program   How to proceed past some errors, to test compilation.
9.7 Summary of Options  
Using Implicit Rules
10.1 Using Implicit Rules   How to use an existing implicit rule to get the recipe for updating a file.
10.2 Catalogue of Implicit Rules   A list of built-in implicit rules.
10.3 Variables Used by Implicit Rules   How to change what predefined rules do.
10.4 Chains of Implicit Rules   How to use a chain of implicit rules.
10.5 Defining and Redefining Pattern Rules   How to define new implicit rules.
10.6 Defining Last-Resort Default Rules   How to define a recipe for rules which cannot find any.
10.7 Old-Fashioned Suffix Rules   The old-fashioned style of implicit rule.
10.8 Implicit Rule Search Algorithm   The precise algorithm for applying implicit rules. 
Defining and Redefining Pattern Rules
10.5.1 Introduction to Pattern Rules   An introduction to pattern rules.
10.5.2 Pattern Rule Examples   Examples of pattern rules.
10.5.3 Automatic Variables   How to use automatic variables in the recipe of implicit rules.
10.5.4 How Patterns Match   How patterns match.
10.5.5 Match-Anything Pattern Rules   Precautions you should take prior to defining rules that can match any target file whatever.
10.5.6 Canceling Implicit Rules   How to override or cancel built-in rules. 
Using make to Update Archive Files
11.1 Archive Members as Targets   Archive members as targets.
11.2 Implicit Rule for Archive Member Targets   The implicit rule for archive member targets.
11.3 Dangers When Using Archives   Dangers to watch out for when using archives.
11.4 Suffix Rules for Archive Files   You can write a special kind of suffix rule for updating archives. 
Implicit Rule for Archive Member Targets
11.2.1 Updating Archive Symbol Directories   How to update archive symbol directories. 







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