1 GNU make NEWS -*-indented-text-*-
2 History of user-visible changes.
5 Copyright (C) 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
6 See the end for copying conditions.
8 All changes mentioned here are more fully described in the GNU make
9 manual, which is contained in this distribution as the file make.texinfo.
11 Please send GNU make bug reports to <bug-make@gnu.org>.
12 See the README file and the GNU make manual for details on sending bug
17 * The arguments to $(call ...) functions were being stored in $1, $2,
18 etc. as recursive variables, even though they are fully expanded
19 before assignment. This means that escaped dollar signs ($$ etc.)
20 were not behaving properly. Now the arguments are stored as simple
21 variables. This may mean that if you added extra escaping to your
22 $(call ...) function arguments you will need to undo it now.
24 * New pseudo-target .LOW_RESOLUTION_TIME, superseding the configure
25 option --disable-nsec-timestamps. You might need this if your build
26 process depends on tools like "cp -p" preserving time stamps, since
27 "cp -p" (right now) doesn't preserve the subsecond portion of a time
30 * Updated translations for French, Galician, German, Japanese, Korean,
31 and Russian. New translations for Croatian, Danish, Hebrew, and
34 * Updated internationalization support to Gettext 0.11.1.
35 GNU make now uses Gettext's "external" feature, and does not include
36 any internationalization code itself. Configure will search your
37 system for an existing implementation of GNU Gettext (only GNU Gettext
38 is acceptable) and use it if it exists. If not, NLS will be disabled.
39 See ABOUT-NLS for more information.
41 * Updated to autoconf 2.53 and automake 1.6.1. Users should not be
46 * .SECONDARY with no prerequisites now prevents any target from being
47 removed because make thinks it's an intermediate file, not just those
48 listed in the makefile.
50 * New configure option --disable-nsec-timestamps, but this was
51 superseded in later versions by the .LOW_RESOLUTION_TIME pseudo-target.
55 * GNU make optionally supports internationalization and locales via the
56 GNU gettext (or local gettext if suitable) package. See the ABOUT-NLS
57 file for more information on configuring GNU make for NLS.
59 * Previously, GNU make quoted variables such as MAKEFLAGS and
60 MAKEOVERRIDES for proper parsing by the shell. This allowed them to
61 be used within make build scripts. However, using them there is not
62 proper behavior: they are meant to be passed to subshells via the
63 environment. Unfortunately the values were not quoted properly to be
64 passed through the environment. This meant that make didn't properly
65 pass some types of command line values to submakes.
67 With this version we change that behavior: now these variables are
68 quoted properly for passing through the environment, which is the
69 correct way to do it. If you previously used these variables
70 explicitly within a make rule you may need to re-examine your use for
71 correctness given this change.
73 * A new pseudo-target .NOTPARALLEL is available. If defined, the
74 current makefile is run serially regardless of the value of -j.
75 However, submakes are still eligible for parallel execution.
77 * The --debug option has changed: it now allows optional flags
78 controlling the amount and type of debugging output. By default only
79 a minimal amount information is generated, displaying the names of
80 "normal" targets (not makefiles) that were deemed out of date and in
81 need of being rebuilt.
83 Note that the -d option behaves as before: it takes no arguments and
84 all debugging information is generated.
86 * The `-p' (print database) output now includes filename and linenumber
87 information for variable definitions, to aid debugging.
89 * The wordlist function no longer reverses its arguments if the "start"
90 value is greater than the "end" value. If that's true, nothing is
93 * Hartmut Becker provided many updates for the VMS port of GNU make.
94 See the readme.vms file for more details.
98 * Two new functions, $(error ...) and $(warning ...) are available. The
99 former will cause make to fail and exit immediately upon expansion of
100 the function, with the text provided as the error message. The latter
101 causes the text provided to be printed as a warning message, but make
104 * A new function $(call ...) is available. This allows users to create
105 their own parameterized macros and invoke them later. Original
106 implementation of this function was provided by Han-Wen Nienhuys
109 * A new function $(if ...) is available. It provides if-then-else
110 capabilities in a builtin function. Original implementation of this
111 function was provided by Han-Wen Nienhuys <hanwen@cs.uu.nl>.
113 * Make defines a new variable, .LIBPATTERNS. This variable controls how
114 library dependency expansion (dependencies like ``-lfoo'') is performed.
116 * Make accepts CRLF sequences as well as traditional LF, for
117 compatibility with makefiles created on other operating systems.
119 * Make accepts a new option: -R, or --no-builtin-variables. This option
120 disables the definition of the rule-specific builtin variables (CC,
121 LD, AR, etc.). Specifying this option forces -r (--no-builtin-rules)
124 * A "job server" feature, suggested by Howard Chu <hyc@highlandsun.com>.
126 On systems that support POSIX pipe(2) semantics, GNU make can now pass
127 -jN options to submakes rather than forcing them all to use -j1. The
128 top make and all its sub-make processes use a pipe to communicate with
129 each other to ensure that no more than N jobs are started across all
130 makes. To get the old behavior of -j back, you can configure make
131 with the --disable-job-server option.
133 * The confusing term "dependency" has been replaced by the more accurate
134 and standard term "prerequisite", both in the manual and in all GNU make
137 * GNU make supports the "big archive" library format introduced in AIX 4.3.
139 * GNU make supports large files on AIX, HP-UX, and IRIX. These changes
140 were provided by Paul Eggert <eggert@twinsun.com>. (Large file
141 support for Solaris and Linux was introduced in 3.77, but the
142 configuration had issues: these have also been resolved).
144 * The Windows 95/98/NT (W32) version of GNU make now has native support
145 for the Cygnus Cygwin release B20.1 shell (bash).
147 * The GNU make regression test suite, long available separately "under
148 the table", has been integrated into the release. You can invoke it
149 by running "make check" in the distribution. Note that it requires
150 Perl (either Perl 4 or Perl 5) to run.
154 * Implement BSD make's "?=" variable assignment operator. The variable
155 is assigned the specified value only if that variable is not already
158 * Make defines a new variable, "CURDIR", to contain the current working
159 directory (after the -C option, if any, has been processed).
160 Modifying this variable has no effect on the operation of make.
162 * Make defines a new default RCS rule, for new-style master file
163 storage: ``% :: RCS/%'' (note no ``,v'' suffix).
165 Make defines new default rules for DOS-style C++ file naming
166 conventions, with ``.cpp'' suffixes. All the same rules as for
167 ``.cc'' and ``.C'' suffixes are provided, along with LINK.cpp and
168 COMPILE.cpp macros (which default to the same value as LINK.cc and
169 COMPILE.cc). Note CPPFLAGS is still C preprocessor flags! You should
170 use CXXFLAGS to change C++ compiler flags.
172 * A new feature, "target-specific variable values", has been added.
173 This is a large change so please see the appropriate sections of the
174 manual for full details. Briefly, syntax like this:
176 TARGET: VARIABLE = VALUE
178 defines VARIABLE as VALUE within the context of TARGET. This is
179 similar to SunOS make's "TARGET := VARIABLE = VALUE" feature. Note
180 that the assignment may be of any type, not just recursive, and that
181 the override keyword is available.
183 COMPATIBILITY: This new syntax means that if you have any rules where
184 the first or second dependency has an equal sign (=) in its name,
185 you'll have to escape them with a backslash: "foo : bar\=baz".
186 Further, if you have any dependencies which already contain "\=",
187 you'll have to escape both of them: "foo : bar\\\=baz".
189 * A new appendix listing the most common error and warning messages
190 generated by GNU make, with some explanation, has been added to the
191 GNU make User's Manual.
193 * Updates to the GNU make Customs library support (see README.customs).
195 * Updates to the Windows 95/NT port from Rob Tulloh (see README.W32),
196 and to the DOS port from Eli Zaretski (see README.DOS).
200 * Small (but serious) bug fix. Quick rollout to get into the GNU source CD.
204 * GNU make now uses automake to control Makefile.in generation. This
205 should make it more consistent with the GNU standards.
207 * VPATH functionality has been changed to incorporate the VPATH+ patch,
208 previously maintained by Paul Smith <psmith@baynetworks.com>. See the
211 * Make defines a new variable, `MAKECMDGOALS', to contain the goals that
212 were specified on the command line, if any. Modifying this variable
213 has no effect on the operation of make.
215 * A new function, `$(wordlist S,E,TEXT)', is available: it returns a
216 list of words from number S to number E (inclusive) of TEXT.
218 * Instead of an error, detection of future modification times gives a
219 warning and continues. The warning is repeated just before GNU make
220 exits, so it is less likely to be lost.
222 * Fix the $(basename) and $(suffix) functions so they only operate on
223 the last filename, not the entire string:
225 Command Old Result New Result
226 ------- ---------- ----------
228 $(basename a.b/c) a a.b/c
230 $(suffix a.b/c) b/c <empty>
232 * The $(strip) function now removes newlines as well as TABs and spaces.
234 * The $(shell) function now changes CRLF (\r\n) pairs to a space as well
237 * Updates to the Windows 95/NT port from Rob Tulloh (see README.W32).
239 * Eli Zaretskii has updated the port to 32-bit protected mode on MSDOS
240 and MS-Windows, building with the DJGPP v2 port of GNU C/C++ compiler
241 and utilities. See README.DOS for details, and direct all questions
242 concerning this port to Eli Zaretskii <eliz@is.elta.co.il> or DJ
243 Delorie <dj@delorie.com>.
245 * John W. Eaton has updated the VMS port to support libraries and VPATH.
249 * The directory messages printed by `-w' and implicitly in sub-makes,
250 are now omitted if Make runs no commands and has no other messages to print.
252 * Make now detects files that for whatever reason have modification times
253 in the future and gives an error. Files with such impossible timestamps
254 can result from unsynchronized clocks, or archived distributions
255 containing bogus timestamps; they confuse Make's dependency engine
258 * The new directive `sinclude' is now recognized as another name for
259 `-include', for compatibility with some other Makes.
261 * Aaron Digulla has contributed a port to AmigaDOS. See README.Amiga for
262 details, and direct all Amiga-related questions to <digulla@fh-konstanz.de>.
264 * Rob Tulloh of Tivoli Systems has contributed a port to Windows NT or 95.
265 See README.W32 for details, and direct all Windows-related questions to
266 <rob_tulloh@tivoli.com>.
270 * Converted to use Autoconf version 2, so `configure' has some new options.
271 See INSTALL for details.
273 * You can now send a SIGUSR1 signal to Make to toggle printing of debugging
274 output enabled by -d, at any time during the run.
278 * DJ Delorie has ported Make to MS-DOS using the GO32 extender.
279 He is maintaining the DOS port, not the GNU Make maintainer;
280 please direct bugs and questions for DOS to <djgpp@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>.
281 MS-DOS binaries are available for FTP from ftp.simtel.net in
282 /pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/.
284 * The `MAKEFLAGS' variable (in the environment or in a makefile) can now
285 contain variable definitions itself; these are treated just like
286 command-line variable definitions. Make will automatically insert any
287 variable definitions from the environment value of `MAKEFLAGS' or from
288 the command line, into the `MAKEFLAGS' value exported to children. The
289 `MAKEOVERRIDES' variable previously included in the value of `$(MAKE)'
290 for sub-makes is now included in `MAKEFLAGS' instead. As before, you can
291 reset `MAKEOVERRIDES' in your makefile to avoid putting all the variables
292 in the environment when its size is limited.
294 * If `.DELETE_ON_ERROR' appears as a target, Make will delete the target of
295 a rule if it has changed when its commands exit with a nonzero status,
296 just as when the commands get a signal.
298 * The automatic variable `$+' is new. It lists all the dependencies like
299 `$^', but preserves duplicates listed in the makefile. This is useful
300 for linking rules, where library files sometimes need to be listed twice
303 * You can now specify the `.IGNORE' and `.SILENT' special targets with
304 dependencies to limit their effects to those files. If a file appears as
305 a dependency of `.IGNORE', then errors will be ignored while running the
306 commands to update that file. Likewise if a file appears as a dependency
307 of `.SILENT', then the commands to update that file will not be printed
308 before they are run. (This change was made to conform to POSIX.2.)
312 * The automatic variables `$(@D)', `$(%D)', `$(*D)', `$(<D)', `$(?D)', and
313 `$(^D)' now omit the trailing slash from the directory name. (This change
314 was made to comply with POSIX.2.)
316 * The source distribution now includes the Info files for the Make manual.
317 There is no longer a separate distribution containing Info and DVI files.
319 * You can now set the variables `binprefix' and/or `manprefix' in
320 Makefile.in (or on the command line when installing) to install GNU make
321 under a name other than `make' (i.e., ``make binprefix=g install''
322 installs GNU make as `gmake').
324 * The built-in Texinfo rules use the new variables `TEXI2DVI_FLAGS' for
325 flags to the `texi2dvi' script, and `MAKEINFO_FLAGS' for flags to the
328 * The exit status of Make when it runs into errors is now 2 instead of 1.
329 The exit status is 1 only when using -q and some target is not up to date.
330 (This change was made to comply with POSIX.2.)
334 * It is no longer a fatal error to have a NUL character in a makefile.
335 You should never put a NUL in a makefile because it can have strange
336 results, but otherwise empty lines full of NULs (such as produced by
337 the `xmkmf' program) will always work fine.
339 * The error messages for nonexistent included makefiles now refer to the
340 makefile name and line number where the `include' appeared, so Emacs's
341 C-x ` command takes you there (in case it's a typo you need to fix).
345 * Implicit rule search for archive member references is now done in the
346 opposite order from previous versions: the whole target name `LIB(MEM)'
347 first, and just the member name and parentheses `(MEM)' second.
349 * Make now gives an error for an unterminated variable or function reference.
350 For example, `$(foo' with no matching `)' or `${bar' with no matching `}'.
352 * The new default variable `MAKE_VERSION' gives the version number of
353 Make, and a string describing the remote job support compiled in (if any).
354 Thus the value (in this release) is something like `3.69' or `3.69-Customs'.
356 * Commands in an invocation of the `shell' function are no longer run with
357 a modified environment like target commands are. As in versions before
358 3.68, they now run with the environment that `make' started with. We
359 have reversed the change made in version 3.68 because it turned out to
360 cause a paradoxical situation in cases like:
362 export variable = $(shell echo value)
364 When Make attempted to put this variable in the environment for a target
365 command, it would try expand the value by running the shell command
366 `echo value'. In version 3.68, because it constructed an environment
367 for that shell command in the same way, Make would begin to go into an
368 infinite loop and then get a fatal error when it detected the loop.
370 * The commands given for `.DEFAULT' are now used for phony targets with no
375 * You can list several archive member names inside parenthesis:
376 `lib(mem1 mem2 mem3)' is equivalent to `lib(mem1) lib(mem2) lib(mem3)'.
378 * You can use wildcards inside archive member references. For example,
379 `lib(*.o)' expands to all existing members of `lib' whose names end in
380 `.o' (e.g. `lib(a.o) lib(b.o)'); `*.a(*.o)' expands to all such members
381 of all existing files whose names end in `.a' (e.g. `foo.a(a.o)
382 foo.a(b.o) bar.a(c.o) bar.a(d.o)'.
384 * A suffix rule `.X.a' now produces two pattern rules:
385 (%.o): %.X # Previous versions produced only this.
386 %.a: %.X # Now produces this as well, just like other suffixes.
388 * The new flag `--warn-undefined-variables' says to issue a warning message
389 whenever Make expands a reference to an undefined variable.
391 * The new `-include' directive is just like `include' except that there is
392 no error (not even a warning) for a nonexistent makefile.
394 * Commands in an invocation of the `shell' function are now run with a
395 modified environment like target commands are, so you can use `export' et
396 al to set up variables for them. They used to run with the environment
397 that `make' started with.
401 * `make --version' (or `make -v') now exits immediately after printing
406 * Make now supports long-named members in `ar' archive files.
410 * Make now supports the `+=' syntax for a variable definition which appends
411 to the variable's previous value. See the section `Appending More Text
412 to Variables' in the manual for full details.
414 * The new option `--no-print-directory' inhibits the `-w' or
415 `--print-directory' feature. Make turns on `--print-directory'
416 automatically if you use `-C' or `--directory', and in sub-makes; some
417 users have found this behavior undesirable.
419 * The built-in implicit rules now support the alternative extension
420 `.txinfo' for Texinfo files, just like `.texinfo' and `.texi'.
424 * Make now uses a standard GNU `configure' script. See the new file
425 INSTALL for the new (and much simpler) installation procedure.
427 * There is now a shell script to build Make the first time, if you have no
428 other `make' program. `build.sh' is created by `configure'; see README.
430 * GNU Make now completely conforms to the POSIX.2 specification for `make'.
432 * Elements of the `$^' and `$?' automatic variables that are archive
433 member references now list only the member name, as in Unix and POSIX.2.
435 * You should no longer ever need to specify the `-w' switch, which prints
436 the current directory before and after Make runs. The `-C' switch to
437 change directory, and recursive use of Make, now set `-w' automatically.
439 * Multiple double-colon rules for the same target will no longer have their
440 commands run simultaneously under -j, as this could result in the two
441 commands trying to change the file at the same time and interfering with
444 * The `SHELL' variable is now never taken from the environment.
445 Each makefile that wants a shell other than the default (/bin/sh) must
446 set SHELL itself. SHELL is always exported to child processes.
447 This change was made for compatibility with POSIX.2.
449 * Make now accepts long options. There is now an informative usage message
450 that tells you what all the options are and what they do. Try `make --help'.
452 * There are two new directives: `export' and `unexport'. All variables are
453 no longer automatically put into the environments of the commands that
454 Make runs. Instead, only variables specified on the command line or in
455 the environment are exported by default. To export others, use:
457 or you can define variables with:
458 export VARIABLE = VALUE
460 export VARIABLE := VALUE
464 .EXPORT_ALL_VARIABLES:
465 to get the old behavior. See the node `Variables/Recursion' in the manual
466 for a full description.
468 * The commands from the `.DEFAULT' special target are only applied to
469 targets which have no rules at all, not all targets with no commands.
470 This change was made for compatibility with Unix make.
472 * All fatal error messages now contain `***', so they are easy to find in
475 * Dependency file names like `-lNAME' are now replaced with the actual file
476 name found, as with files found by normal directory search (VPATH).
477 The library file `libNAME.a' may now be found in the current directory,
478 which is checked before VPATH; the standard set of directories (/lib,
479 /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib) is now checked last.
480 See the node `Libraries/Search' in the manual for full details.
482 * A single `include' directive can now specify more than one makefile to
485 You can also use shell file name patterns in an `include' directive:
488 * The default directories to search for included makefiles, and for
489 libraries specified with `-lNAME', are now set by configuration.
491 * You can now use blanks as well as colons to separate the directories in a
492 search path for the `vpath' directive or the `VPATH' variable.
494 * You can now use variables and functions in the left hand side of a
495 variable assignment, as in "$(foo)bar = value".
497 * The `MAKE' variable is always defined as `$(MAKE_COMMAND) $(MAKEOVERRIDES)'.
498 The `MAKE_COMMAND' variable is now defined to the name with which make
501 * The built-in rules for C++ compilation now use the variables `$(CXX)' and
502 `$(CXXFLAGS)' instead of `$(C++)' and `$(C++FLAGS)'. The old names had
503 problems with shells that cannot have `+' in environment variable names.
505 * The value of a recursively expanded variable is now expanded when putting
506 it into the environment for child processes. This change was made for
507 compatibility with Unix make.
509 * A rule with no targets before the `:' is now accepted and ignored.
510 This change was made for compatibility with SunOS 4 make.
511 We do not recommend that you write your makefiles to take advantage of this.
513 * The `-I' switch can now be used in MAKEFLAGS, and are put there
514 automatically just like other switches.
518 * Built-in rules for C++ source files with the `.C' suffix.
519 We still recommend that you use `.cc' instead.
521 * If commands are given too many times for a single target,
522 the last set given is used, and a warning message is printed.
524 * Error messages about makefiles are in standard GNU error format,
525 so C-x ` in Emacs works on them.
527 * Dependencies of pattern rules which contain no % need not actually exist
528 if they can be created (just like dependencies which do have a %).
532 * A message is always printed when Make decides there is nothing to be done.
533 It used to be that no message was printed for top-level phony targets
534 (because "`phony' is up to date" isn't quite right). Now a different
535 message "Nothing to be done for `phony'" is printed in that case.
537 * Archives on AIX now supposedly work.
539 * When the commands specified for .DEFAULT are used to update a target,
540 the $< automatic variable is given the same value as $@ for that target.
541 This is how Unix make behaves, and this behavior is mandated by POSIX.2.
545 * The -n, -q, and -t options are not put in the `MAKEFLAGS' and `MFLAG'
546 variables while remaking makefiles, so recursive makes done while remaking
547 makefiles will behave properly.
549 * If the special target `.NOEXPORT' is specified in a makefile,
550 only variables that came from the environment and variables
551 defined on the command line are exported.
555 * Suffix rules may have dependencies (which are ignored).
559 * Dependencies of the form `-lLIB' are searched for as /usr/local/lib/libLIB.a
560 as well as libLIB.a in /usr/lib, /lib, the current directory, and VPATH.
564 * There is now a Unix man page for GNU Make. It is certainly not a replacement
565 for the Texinfo manual, but it documents the basic functionality and the
566 switches. For full documentation, you should still read the Texinfo manual.
567 Thanks to Dennis Morse of Stanford University for contributing the initial
570 * Variables which are defined by default (e.g., `CC') will no longer be put
571 into the environment for child processes. (If these variables are reset by the
572 environment, makefiles, or the command line, they will still go into the
575 * Makefiles which have commands but no dependencies (and thus are always
576 considered out of date and in need of remaking), will not be remade (if they
577 were being remade only because they were makefiles). This means that GNU
578 Make will no longer go into an infinite loop when fed the makefiles that
579 `imake' (necessary to build X Windows) produces.
581 * There is no longer a warning for using the `vpath' directive with an explicit
582 pathname (instead of a `%' pattern).
586 * When removing intermediate files, only one `rm' command line is printed,
587 listing all file names.
589 * There are now automatic variables `$(^D)', `$(^F)', `$(?D)', and `$(?F)'.
590 These are the directory-only and file-only versions of `$^' and `$?'.
592 * Library dependencies given as `-lNAME' will use "libNAME.a" in the current
593 directory if it exists.
595 * The automatic variable `$($/)' is no longer defined.
597 * Leading `+' characters on a command line make that line be executed even
598 under -n, -t, or -q (as if the line contained `$(MAKE)').
600 * For command lines containing `$(MAKE)', `${MAKE}', or leading `+' characters,
601 only those lines are executed, not their entire rules.
602 (This is how Unix make behaves for lines containing `$(MAKE)' or `${MAKE}'.)
606 * Filenames in rules will now have ~ and ~USER expanded.
608 * The `-p' output has been changed so it can be used as a makefile.
609 (All information that isn't specified by makefiles is prefaced with comment
614 * The % character can be quoted with backslash in implicit pattern rules,
615 static pattern rules, `vpath' directives, and `patsubst', `filter', and
616 `filter-out' functions. A warning is issued if a `vpath' directive's
617 pattern contains no %.
619 * The `wildcard' variable expansion function now expands ~ and ~USER.
621 * Messages indicating failed commands now contain the target name:
622 make: *** [target] Error 1
624 * The `-p' output format has been changed somewhat to look more like
625 makefile rules and to give all information that Make has about files.
631 * The `-l' switch with no argument removes any previous load-average limit.
633 * When the `-w' switch is in effect, and Make has updated makefiles,
634 it will write a `Leaving directory' messagfe before re-executing itself.
635 This makes the `directory change tracking' changes to Emacs's compilation
636 commands work properly.
640 * The automatic variable `$*' is now defined for explicit rules,
641 as it is in Unix make.
645 * The `-j' switch is now put in the MAKEFLAGS and MFLAGS variables when
646 specified without an argument (indicating infinite jobs).
647 The `-l' switch is not always put in the MAKEFLAGS and MFLAGS variables.
649 * Make no longer checks hashed directories after running commands.
650 The behavior implemented in 3.41 caused too much slowdown.
654 * A dependency is NOT considered newer than its dependent if
655 they have the same modification time. The behavior implemented
656 in 3.43 conflicts with RCS.
660 * Dependency loops are no longer fatal errors.
662 * A dependency is considered newer than its dependent if
663 they have the same modification time.
667 * The variables F77 and F77FLAGS are now set by default to $(FC) and
668 $(FFLAGS). Makefiles designed for System V make may use these variables in
669 explicit rules and expect them to be set. Unfortunately, there is no way to
670 make setting these affect the Fortran implicit rules unless FC and FFLAGS
671 are not used (and these are used by BSD make).
675 * Make now checks to see if its hashed directories are changed by commands.
676 Other makes that hash directories (Sun, 4.3 BSD) don't do this.
680 * The `shell' function no longer captures standard error output.
684 * A file beginning with a dot can be the default target if it also contains
685 a slash (e.g., `../bin/foo'). (Unix make allows this as well.)
689 * Archive member names are truncated to 15 characters.
691 * Yet more USG stuff.
693 * Minimal support for Microport System V (a 16-bit machine and a
694 brain-damaged compiler). This has even lower priority than other USG
695 support, so if it gets beyond trivial, I will take it out completely.
697 * Revamped default implicit rules (not much visible change).
699 * The -d and -p options can come from the environment.
703 * Improved support for USG and HPUX (hopefully).
705 * A variable reference like `$(foo:a=b)', if `a' contains a `%', is
706 equivalent to `$(patsubst a,b,$(foo))'.
708 * Defining .DEFAULT with no deps or commands clears its commands.
710 * New default implicit rules for .S (cpp, then as), and .sh (copy and make
711 executable). All default implicit rules that use cpp (even indirectly), use
716 * Giving the -j option with no arguments gives you infinite jobs.
720 * New option: "-l LOAD" says not to start any new jobs while others are
721 running if the load average is not below LOAD (a floating-point number).
723 * There is support in place for implementations of remote command execution
724 in Make. See the file remote.c.
728 * No more than 10 directories will be kept open at once.
729 (This number can be changed by redefining MAX_OPEN_DIRECTORIES in dir.c.)
733 * Archive files will have their modification times recorded before doing
734 anything that might change their modification times by updating an archive
739 * The `MAKELEVEL' variable is defined for use by makefiles.
743 * The recursion level indications in error messages are much shorter than
744 they were in version 3.14.
748 * Leading spaces before directives are ignored (as documented).
750 * Included makefiles can determine the default goal target.
751 (System V Make does it this way, so we are being compatible).
755 * Variables that are defaults built into Make will not be put in the
756 environment for children. This just saves some environment space and,
757 except under -e, will be transparent to sub-makes.
759 * Error messages from sub-makes will indicate the level of recursion.
761 * Hopefully some speed-up for large directories due to a change in the
762 directory hashing scheme.
764 * One child will always get a standard input that is usable.
766 * Default makefiles that don't exist will be remade and read in.
770 * Count parentheses inside expansion function calls so you can
771 have nested calls: `$(sort $(foreach x,a b,$(x)))'.
775 * Several bug fixes, including USG and Sun386i support.
777 * `shell' function to expand shell commands a la `
779 * If the `-d' flag is given, version information will be printed.
781 * The `-c' option has been renamed to `-C' for compatibility with tar.
783 * The `-p' option no longer inhibits other normal operation.
785 * Makefiles will be updated and re-read if necessary.
787 * Can now run several commands at once (parallelism), -j option.
789 * Error messages will contain the level of Make recursion, if any.
791 * The `MAKEFLAGS' and `MFLAGS' variables will be scanned for options after
794 * A double-colon rule with no dependencies will always have its commands run.
795 (This is how both the BSD and System V versions of Make do it.)
799 (Changes from versions 1 through 3.05 were never recorded. Sorry.)
801 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
802 Copyright information:
804 Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies
805 of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the
806 copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved, thus
807 giving the recipient permission to redistribute in turn.
809 Permission is granted to distribute modified versions of this
810 document, or of portions of it, under the above conditions, provided
811 also that they carry prominent notices stating who last changed them.