make

make

GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs.

make is used to:

• save time by not recompiling files that haven't changed,
• make sure all files that have changed do get recompiled.

A typical makefile (Makefile so that it appears near the top of the directory listing) contains:

• Variable definitions: $(foo) or ${foo} is a valid reference to the variable foo.
• Dependecy rules:

  target: dependencies ...
  <TAB>commands
  <TAB>...
  

• Comments (line beginning with #).