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 * A new function is defined: $(quote ...). The argument to this
18 function is the _name_ of a variable. The result of the function is
19 the value of the variable, without having been expanded.
21 * A new function is defined: $(eval ...). The arguments to this
22 function should expand to makefile commands, which will then be
23 evaluated as if they had appeared in the makefile. In combination
24 with define/endef multiline variable definitions this is an extremely
25 powerful capability. The $(quote ...) function is also useful here.
27 * A new built-in variable is defined, $(MAKEFILE_LIST). It contains a
28 list of each makefile GNU make has read, or started to read, in the
29 order in which they were encountered. So, the last filename in the
30 list when a makefile is just being read (before any includes) is the
31 name of the current makefile.
33 * The arguments to $(call ...) functions were being stored in $1, $2,
34 etc. as recursive variables, even though they are fully expanded
35 before assignment. This means that escaped dollar signs ($$ etc.)
36 were not behaving properly. Now the arguments are stored as simple
37 variables. This may mean that if you added extra escaping to your
38 $(call ...) function arguments you will need to undo it now.
40 * New pseudo-target .LOW_RESOLUTION_TIME, superseding the configure
41 option --disable-nsec-timestamps. You might need this if your build
42 process depends on tools like "cp -p" preserving time stamps, since
43 "cp -p" (right now) doesn't preserve the subsecond portion of a time
46 * Updated translations for French, Galician, German, Japanese, Korean,
47 and Russian. New translations for Croatian, Danish, Hebrew, and
50 * Updated internationalization support to Gettext 0.11.1.
51 GNU make now uses Gettext's "external" feature, and does not include
52 any internationalization code itself. Configure will search your
53 system for an existing implementation of GNU Gettext (only GNU Gettext
54 is acceptable) and use it if it exists. If not, NLS will be disabled.
55 See ABOUT-NLS for more information.
57 * Updated to autoconf 2.53 and automake 1.6.1. Users should not be
62 * .SECONDARY with no prerequisites now prevents any target from being
63 removed because make thinks it's an intermediate file, not just those
64 listed in the makefile.
66 * New configure option --disable-nsec-timestamps, but this was
67 superseded in later versions by the .LOW_RESOLUTION_TIME pseudo-target.
71 * GNU make optionally supports internationalization and locales via the
72 GNU gettext (or local gettext if suitable) package. See the ABOUT-NLS
73 file for more information on configuring GNU make for NLS.
75 * Previously, GNU make quoted variables such as MAKEFLAGS and
76 MAKEOVERRIDES for proper parsing by the shell. This allowed them to
77 be used within make build scripts. However, using them there is not
78 proper behavior: they are meant to be passed to subshells via the
79 environment. Unfortunately the values were not quoted properly to be
80 passed through the environment. This meant that make didn't properly
81 pass some types of command line values to submakes.
83 With this version we change that behavior: now these variables are
84 quoted properly for passing through the environment, which is the
85 correct way to do it. If you previously used these variables
86 explicitly within a make rule you may need to re-examine your use for
87 correctness given this change.
89 * A new pseudo-target .NOTPARALLEL is available. If defined, the
90 current makefile is run serially regardless of the value of -j.
91 However, submakes are still eligible for parallel execution.
93 * The --debug option has changed: it now allows optional flags
94 controlling the amount and type of debugging output. By default only
95 a minimal amount information is generated, displaying the names of
96 "normal" targets (not makefiles) that were deemed out of date and in
97 need of being rebuilt.
99 Note that the -d option behaves as before: it takes no arguments and
100 all debugging information is generated.
102 * The `-p' (print database) output now includes filename and linenumber
103 information for variable definitions, to aid debugging.
105 * The wordlist function no longer reverses its arguments if the "start"
106 value is greater than the "end" value. If that's true, nothing is
109 * Hartmut Becker provided many updates for the VMS port of GNU make.
110 See the readme.vms file for more details.
114 * Two new functions, $(error ...) and $(warning ...) are available. The
115 former will cause make to fail and exit immediately upon expansion of
116 the function, with the text provided as the error message. The latter
117 causes the text provided to be printed as a warning message, but make
120 * A new function $(call ...) is available. This allows users to create
121 their own parameterized macros and invoke them later. Original
122 implementation of this function was provided by Han-Wen Nienhuys
125 * A new function $(if ...) is available. It provides if-then-else
126 capabilities in a builtin function. Original implementation of this
127 function was provided by Han-Wen Nienhuys <hanwen@cs.uu.nl>.
129 * Make defines a new variable, .LIBPATTERNS. This variable controls how
130 library dependency expansion (dependencies like ``-lfoo'') is performed.
132 * Make accepts CRLF sequences as well as traditional LF, for
133 compatibility with makefiles created on other operating systems.
135 * Make accepts a new option: -R, or --no-builtin-variables. This option
136 disables the definition of the rule-specific builtin variables (CC,
137 LD, AR, etc.). Specifying this option forces -r (--no-builtin-rules)
140 * A "job server" feature, suggested by Howard Chu <hyc@highlandsun.com>.
142 On systems that support POSIX pipe(2) semantics, GNU make can now pass
143 -jN options to submakes rather than forcing them all to use -j1. The
144 top make and all its sub-make processes use a pipe to communicate with
145 each other to ensure that no more than N jobs are started across all
146 makes. To get the old behavior of -j back, you can configure make
147 with the --disable-job-server option.
149 * The confusing term "dependency" has been replaced by the more accurate
150 and standard term "prerequisite", both in the manual and in all GNU make
153 * GNU make supports the "big archive" library format introduced in AIX 4.3.
155 * GNU make supports large files on AIX, HP-UX, and IRIX. These changes
156 were provided by Paul Eggert <eggert@twinsun.com>. (Large file
157 support for Solaris and Linux was introduced in 3.77, but the
158 configuration had issues: these have also been resolved).
160 * The Windows 95/98/NT (W32) version of GNU make now has native support
161 for the Cygnus Cygwin release B20.1 shell (bash).
163 * The GNU make regression test suite, long available separately "under
164 the table", has been integrated into the release. You can invoke it
165 by running "make check" in the distribution. Note that it requires
166 Perl (either Perl 4 or Perl 5) to run.
170 * Implement BSD make's "?=" variable assignment operator. The variable
171 is assigned the specified value only if that variable is not already
174 * Make defines a new variable, "CURDIR", to contain the current working
175 directory (after the -C option, if any, has been processed).
176 Modifying this variable has no effect on the operation of make.
178 * Make defines a new default RCS rule, for new-style master file
179 storage: ``% :: RCS/%'' (note no ``,v'' suffix).
181 Make defines new default rules for DOS-style C++ file naming
182 conventions, with ``.cpp'' suffixes. All the same rules as for
183 ``.cc'' and ``.C'' suffixes are provided, along with LINK.cpp and
184 COMPILE.cpp macros (which default to the same value as LINK.cc and
185 COMPILE.cc). Note CPPFLAGS is still C preprocessor flags! You should
186 use CXXFLAGS to change C++ compiler flags.
188 * A new feature, "target-specific variable values", has been added.
189 This is a large change so please see the appropriate sections of the
190 manual for full details. Briefly, syntax like this:
192 TARGET: VARIABLE = VALUE
194 defines VARIABLE as VALUE within the context of TARGET. This is
195 similar to SunOS make's "TARGET := VARIABLE = VALUE" feature. Note
196 that the assignment may be of any type, not just recursive, and that
197 the override keyword is available.
199 COMPATIBILITY: This new syntax means that if you have any rules where
200 the first or second dependency has an equal sign (=) in its name,
201 you'll have to escape them with a backslash: "foo : bar\=baz".
202 Further, if you have any dependencies which already contain "\=",
203 you'll have to escape both of them: "foo : bar\\\=baz".
205 * A new appendix listing the most common error and warning messages
206 generated by GNU make, with some explanation, has been added to the
207 GNU make User's Manual.
209 * Updates to the GNU make Customs library support (see README.customs).
211 * Updates to the Windows 95/NT port from Rob Tulloh (see README.W32),
212 and to the DOS port from Eli Zaretski (see README.DOS).
216 * Small (but serious) bug fix. Quick rollout to get into the GNU source CD.
220 * GNU make now uses automake to control Makefile.in generation. This
221 should make it more consistent with the GNU standards.
223 * VPATH functionality has been changed to incorporate the VPATH+ patch,
224 previously maintained by Paul Smith <psmith@baynetworks.com>. See the
227 * Make defines a new variable, `MAKECMDGOALS', to contain the goals that
228 were specified on the command line, if any. Modifying this variable
229 has no effect on the operation of make.
231 * A new function, `$(wordlist S,E,TEXT)', is available: it returns a
232 list of words from number S to number E (inclusive) of TEXT.
234 * Instead of an error, detection of future modification times gives a
235 warning and continues. The warning is repeated just before GNU make
236 exits, so it is less likely to be lost.
238 * Fix the $(basename) and $(suffix) functions so they only operate on
239 the last filename, not the entire string:
241 Command Old Result New Result
242 ------- ---------- ----------
244 $(basename a.b/c) a a.b/c
246 $(suffix a.b/c) b/c <empty>
248 * The $(strip) function now removes newlines as well as TABs and spaces.
250 * The $(shell) function now changes CRLF (\r\n) pairs to a space as well
253 * Updates to the Windows 95/NT port from Rob Tulloh (see README.W32).
255 * Eli Zaretskii has updated the port to 32-bit protected mode on MSDOS
256 and MS-Windows, building with the DJGPP v2 port of GNU C/C++ compiler
257 and utilities. See README.DOS for details, and direct all questions
258 concerning this port to Eli Zaretskii <eliz@is.elta.co.il> or DJ
259 Delorie <dj@delorie.com>.
261 * John W. Eaton has updated the VMS port to support libraries and VPATH.
265 * The directory messages printed by `-w' and implicitly in sub-makes,
266 are now omitted if Make runs no commands and has no other messages to print.
268 * Make now detects files that for whatever reason have modification times
269 in the future and gives an error. Files with such impossible timestamps
270 can result from unsynchronized clocks, or archived distributions
271 containing bogus timestamps; they confuse Make's dependency engine
274 * The new directive `sinclude' is now recognized as another name for
275 `-include', for compatibility with some other Makes.
277 * Aaron Digulla has contributed a port to AmigaDOS. See README.Amiga for
278 details, and direct all Amiga-related questions to <digulla@fh-konstanz.de>.
280 * Rob Tulloh of Tivoli Systems has contributed a port to Windows NT or 95.
281 See README.W32 for details, and direct all Windows-related questions to
282 <rob_tulloh@tivoli.com>.
286 * Converted to use Autoconf version 2, so `configure' has some new options.
287 See INSTALL for details.
289 * You can now send a SIGUSR1 signal to Make to toggle printing of debugging
290 output enabled by -d, at any time during the run.
294 * DJ Delorie has ported Make to MS-DOS using the GO32 extender.
295 He is maintaining the DOS port, not the GNU Make maintainer;
296 please direct bugs and questions for DOS to <djgpp@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>.
297 MS-DOS binaries are available for FTP from ftp.simtel.net in
298 /pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/.
300 * The `MAKEFLAGS' variable (in the environment or in a makefile) can now
301 contain variable definitions itself; these are treated just like
302 command-line variable definitions. Make will automatically insert any
303 variable definitions from the environment value of `MAKEFLAGS' or from
304 the command line, into the `MAKEFLAGS' value exported to children. The
305 `MAKEOVERRIDES' variable previously included in the value of `$(MAKE)'
306 for sub-makes is now included in `MAKEFLAGS' instead. As before, you can
307 reset `MAKEOVERRIDES' in your makefile to avoid putting all the variables
308 in the environment when its size is limited.
310 * If `.DELETE_ON_ERROR' appears as a target, Make will delete the target of
311 a rule if it has changed when its commands exit with a nonzero status,
312 just as when the commands get a signal.
314 * The automatic variable `$+' is new. It lists all the dependencies like
315 `$^', but preserves duplicates listed in the makefile. This is useful
316 for linking rules, where library files sometimes need to be listed twice
319 * You can now specify the `.IGNORE' and `.SILENT' special targets with
320 dependencies to limit their effects to those files. If a file appears as
321 a dependency of `.IGNORE', then errors will be ignored while running the
322 commands to update that file. Likewise if a file appears as a dependency
323 of `.SILENT', then the commands to update that file will not be printed
324 before they are run. (This change was made to conform to POSIX.2.)
328 * The automatic variables `$(@D)', `$(%D)', `$(*D)', `$(<D)', `$(?D)', and
329 `$(^D)' now omit the trailing slash from the directory name. (This change
330 was made to comply with POSIX.2.)
332 * The source distribution now includes the Info files for the Make manual.
333 There is no longer a separate distribution containing Info and DVI files.
335 * You can now set the variables `binprefix' and/or `manprefix' in
336 Makefile.in (or on the command line when installing) to install GNU make
337 under a name other than `make' (i.e., ``make binprefix=g install''
338 installs GNU make as `gmake').
340 * The built-in Texinfo rules use the new variables `TEXI2DVI_FLAGS' for
341 flags to the `texi2dvi' script, and `MAKEINFO_FLAGS' for flags to the
344 * The exit status of Make when it runs into errors is now 2 instead of 1.
345 The exit status is 1 only when using -q and some target is not up to date.
346 (This change was made to comply with POSIX.2.)
350 * It is no longer a fatal error to have a NUL character in a makefile.
351 You should never put a NUL in a makefile because it can have strange
352 results, but otherwise empty lines full of NULs (such as produced by
353 the `xmkmf' program) will always work fine.
355 * The error messages for nonexistent included makefiles now refer to the
356 makefile name and line number where the `include' appeared, so Emacs's
357 C-x ` command takes you there (in case it's a typo you need to fix).
361 * Implicit rule search for archive member references is now done in the
362 opposite order from previous versions: the whole target name `LIB(MEM)'
363 first, and just the member name and parentheses `(MEM)' second.
365 * Make now gives an error for an unterminated variable or function reference.
366 For example, `$(foo' with no matching `)' or `${bar' with no matching `}'.
368 * The new default variable `MAKE_VERSION' gives the version number of
369 Make, and a string describing the remote job support compiled in (if any).
370 Thus the value (in this release) is something like `3.69' or `3.69-Customs'.
372 * Commands in an invocation of the `shell' function are no longer run with
373 a modified environment like target commands are. As in versions before
374 3.68, they now run with the environment that `make' started with. We
375 have reversed the change made in version 3.68 because it turned out to
376 cause a paradoxical situation in cases like:
378 export variable = $(shell echo value)
380 When Make attempted to put this variable in the environment for a target
381 command, it would try expand the value by running the shell command
382 `echo value'. In version 3.68, because it constructed an environment
383 for that shell command in the same way, Make would begin to go into an
384 infinite loop and then get a fatal error when it detected the loop.
386 * The commands given for `.DEFAULT' are now used for phony targets with no
391 * You can list several archive member names inside parenthesis:
392 `lib(mem1 mem2 mem3)' is equivalent to `lib(mem1) lib(mem2) lib(mem3)'.
394 * You can use wildcards inside archive member references. For example,
395 `lib(*.o)' expands to all existing members of `lib' whose names end in
396 `.o' (e.g. `lib(a.o) lib(b.o)'); `*.a(*.o)' expands to all such members
397 of all existing files whose names end in `.a' (e.g. `foo.a(a.o)
398 foo.a(b.o) bar.a(c.o) bar.a(d.o)'.
400 * A suffix rule `.X.a' now produces two pattern rules:
401 (%.o): %.X # Previous versions produced only this.
402 %.a: %.X # Now produces this as well, just like other suffixes.
404 * The new flag `--warn-undefined-variables' says to issue a warning message
405 whenever Make expands a reference to an undefined variable.
407 * The new `-include' directive is just like `include' except that there is
408 no error (not even a warning) for a nonexistent makefile.
410 * Commands in an invocation of the `shell' function are now run with a
411 modified environment like target commands are, so you can use `export' et
412 al to set up variables for them. They used to run with the environment
413 that `make' started with.
417 * `make --version' (or `make -v') now exits immediately after printing
422 * Make now supports long-named members in `ar' archive files.
426 * Make now supports the `+=' syntax for a variable definition which appends
427 to the variable's previous value. See the section `Appending More Text
428 to Variables' in the manual for full details.
430 * The new option `--no-print-directory' inhibits the `-w' or
431 `--print-directory' feature. Make turns on `--print-directory'
432 automatically if you use `-C' or `--directory', and in sub-makes; some
433 users have found this behavior undesirable.
435 * The built-in implicit rules now support the alternative extension
436 `.txinfo' for Texinfo files, just like `.texinfo' and `.texi'.
440 * Make now uses a standard GNU `configure' script. See the new file
441 INSTALL for the new (and much simpler) installation procedure.
443 * There is now a shell script to build Make the first time, if you have no
444 other `make' program. `build.sh' is created by `configure'; see README.
446 * GNU Make now completely conforms to the POSIX.2 specification for `make'.
448 * Elements of the `$^' and `$?' automatic variables that are archive
449 member references now list only the member name, as in Unix and POSIX.2.
451 * You should no longer ever need to specify the `-w' switch, which prints
452 the current directory before and after Make runs. The `-C' switch to
453 change directory, and recursive use of Make, now set `-w' automatically.
455 * Multiple double-colon rules for the same target will no longer have their
456 commands run simultaneously under -j, as this could result in the two
457 commands trying to change the file at the same time and interfering with
460 * The `SHELL' variable is now never taken from the environment.
461 Each makefile that wants a shell other than the default (/bin/sh) must
462 set SHELL itself. SHELL is always exported to child processes.
463 This change was made for compatibility with POSIX.2.
465 * Make now accepts long options. There is now an informative usage message
466 that tells you what all the options are and what they do. Try `make --help'.
468 * There are two new directives: `export' and `unexport'. All variables are
469 no longer automatically put into the environments of the commands that
470 Make runs. Instead, only variables specified on the command line or in
471 the environment are exported by default. To export others, use:
473 or you can define variables with:
474 export VARIABLE = VALUE
476 export VARIABLE := VALUE
480 .EXPORT_ALL_VARIABLES:
481 to get the old behavior. See the node `Variables/Recursion' in the manual
482 for a full description.
484 * The commands from the `.DEFAULT' special target are only applied to
485 targets which have no rules at all, not all targets with no commands.
486 This change was made for compatibility with Unix make.
488 * All fatal error messages now contain `***', so they are easy to find in
491 * Dependency file names like `-lNAME' are now replaced with the actual file
492 name found, as with files found by normal directory search (VPATH).
493 The library file `libNAME.a' may now be found in the current directory,
494 which is checked before VPATH; the standard set of directories (/lib,
495 /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib) is now checked last.
496 See the node `Libraries/Search' in the manual for full details.
498 * A single `include' directive can now specify more than one makefile to
501 You can also use shell file name patterns in an `include' directive:
504 * The default directories to search for included makefiles, and for
505 libraries specified with `-lNAME', are now set by configuration.
507 * You can now use blanks as well as colons to separate the directories in a
508 search path for the `vpath' directive or the `VPATH' variable.
510 * You can now use variables and functions in the left hand side of a
511 variable assignment, as in "$(foo)bar = value".
513 * The `MAKE' variable is always defined as `$(MAKE_COMMAND) $(MAKEOVERRIDES)'.
514 The `MAKE_COMMAND' variable is now defined to the name with which make
517 * The built-in rules for C++ compilation now use the variables `$(CXX)' and
518 `$(CXXFLAGS)' instead of `$(C++)' and `$(C++FLAGS)'. The old names had
519 problems with shells that cannot have `+' in environment variable names.
521 * The value of a recursively expanded variable is now expanded when putting
522 it into the environment for child processes. This change was made for
523 compatibility with Unix make.
525 * A rule with no targets before the `:' is now accepted and ignored.
526 This change was made for compatibility with SunOS 4 make.
527 We do not recommend that you write your makefiles to take advantage of this.
529 * The `-I' switch can now be used in MAKEFLAGS, and are put there
530 automatically just like other switches.
534 * Built-in rules for C++ source files with the `.C' suffix.
535 We still recommend that you use `.cc' instead.
537 * If commands are given too many times for a single target,
538 the last set given is used, and a warning message is printed.
540 * Error messages about makefiles are in standard GNU error format,
541 so C-x ` in Emacs works on them.
543 * Dependencies of pattern rules which contain no % need not actually exist
544 if they can be created (just like dependencies which do have a %).
548 * A message is always printed when Make decides there is nothing to be done.
549 It used to be that no message was printed for top-level phony targets
550 (because "`phony' is up to date" isn't quite right). Now a different
551 message "Nothing to be done for `phony'" is printed in that case.
553 * Archives on AIX now supposedly work.
555 * When the commands specified for .DEFAULT are used to update a target,
556 the $< automatic variable is given the same value as $@ for that target.
557 This is how Unix make behaves, and this behavior is mandated by POSIX.2.
561 * The -n, -q, and -t options are not put in the `MAKEFLAGS' and `MFLAG'
562 variables while remaking makefiles, so recursive makes done while remaking
563 makefiles will behave properly.
565 * If the special target `.NOEXPORT' is specified in a makefile,
566 only variables that came from the environment and variables
567 defined on the command line are exported.
571 * Suffix rules may have dependencies (which are ignored).
575 * Dependencies of the form `-lLIB' are searched for as /usr/local/lib/libLIB.a
576 as well as libLIB.a in /usr/lib, /lib, the current directory, and VPATH.
580 * There is now a Unix man page for GNU Make. It is certainly not a replacement
581 for the Texinfo manual, but it documents the basic functionality and the
582 switches. For full documentation, you should still read the Texinfo manual.
583 Thanks to Dennis Morse of Stanford University for contributing the initial
586 * Variables which are defined by default (e.g., `CC') will no longer be put
587 into the environment for child processes. (If these variables are reset by the
588 environment, makefiles, or the command line, they will still go into the
591 * Makefiles which have commands but no dependencies (and thus are always
592 considered out of date and in need of remaking), will not be remade (if they
593 were being remade only because they were makefiles). This means that GNU
594 Make will no longer go into an infinite loop when fed the makefiles that
595 `imake' (necessary to build X Windows) produces.
597 * There is no longer a warning for using the `vpath' directive with an explicit
598 pathname (instead of a `%' pattern).
602 * When removing intermediate files, only one `rm' command line is printed,
603 listing all file names.
605 * There are now automatic variables `$(^D)', `$(^F)', `$(?D)', and `$(?F)'.
606 These are the directory-only and file-only versions of `$^' and `$?'.
608 * Library dependencies given as `-lNAME' will use "libNAME.a" in the current
609 directory if it exists.
611 * The automatic variable `$($/)' is no longer defined.
613 * Leading `+' characters on a command line make that line be executed even
614 under -n, -t, or -q (as if the line contained `$(MAKE)').
616 * For command lines containing `$(MAKE)', `${MAKE}', or leading `+' characters,
617 only those lines are executed, not their entire rules.
618 (This is how Unix make behaves for lines containing `$(MAKE)' or `${MAKE}'.)
622 * Filenames in rules will now have ~ and ~USER expanded.
624 * The `-p' output has been changed so it can be used as a makefile.
625 (All information that isn't specified by makefiles is prefaced with comment
630 * The % character can be quoted with backslash in implicit pattern rules,
631 static pattern rules, `vpath' directives, and `patsubst', `filter', and
632 `filter-out' functions. A warning is issued if a `vpath' directive's
633 pattern contains no %.
635 * The `wildcard' variable expansion function now expands ~ and ~USER.
637 * Messages indicating failed commands now contain the target name:
638 make: *** [target] Error 1
640 * The `-p' output format has been changed somewhat to look more like
641 makefile rules and to give all information that Make has about files.
647 * The `-l' switch with no argument removes any previous load-average limit.
649 * When the `-w' switch is in effect, and Make has updated makefiles,
650 it will write a `Leaving directory' messagfe before re-executing itself.
651 This makes the `directory change tracking' changes to Emacs's compilation
652 commands work properly.
656 * The automatic variable `$*' is now defined for explicit rules,
657 as it is in Unix make.
661 * The `-j' switch is now put in the MAKEFLAGS and MFLAGS variables when
662 specified without an argument (indicating infinite jobs).
663 The `-l' switch is not always put in the MAKEFLAGS and MFLAGS variables.
665 * Make no longer checks hashed directories after running commands.
666 The behavior implemented in 3.41 caused too much slowdown.
670 * A dependency is NOT considered newer than its dependent if
671 they have the same modification time. The behavior implemented
672 in 3.43 conflicts with RCS.
676 * Dependency loops are no longer fatal errors.
678 * A dependency is considered newer than its dependent if
679 they have the same modification time.
683 * The variables F77 and F77FLAGS are now set by default to $(FC) and
684 $(FFLAGS). Makefiles designed for System V make may use these variables in
685 explicit rules and expect them to be set. Unfortunately, there is no way to
686 make setting these affect the Fortran implicit rules unless FC and FFLAGS
687 are not used (and these are used by BSD make).
691 * Make now checks to see if its hashed directories are changed by commands.
692 Other makes that hash directories (Sun, 4.3 BSD) don't do this.
696 * The `shell' function no longer captures standard error output.
700 * A file beginning with a dot can be the default target if it also contains
701 a slash (e.g., `../bin/foo'). (Unix make allows this as well.)
705 * Archive member names are truncated to 15 characters.
707 * Yet more USG stuff.
709 * Minimal support for Microport System V (a 16-bit machine and a
710 brain-damaged compiler). This has even lower priority than other USG
711 support, so if it gets beyond trivial, I will take it out completely.
713 * Revamped default implicit rules (not much visible change).
715 * The -d and -p options can come from the environment.
719 * Improved support for USG and HPUX (hopefully).
721 * A variable reference like `$(foo:a=b)', if `a' contains a `%', is
722 equivalent to `$(patsubst a,b,$(foo))'.
724 * Defining .DEFAULT with no deps or commands clears its commands.
726 * New default implicit rules for .S (cpp, then as), and .sh (copy and make
727 executable). All default implicit rules that use cpp (even indirectly), use
732 * Giving the -j option with no arguments gives you infinite jobs.
736 * New option: "-l LOAD" says not to start any new jobs while others are
737 running if the load average is not below LOAD (a floating-point number).
739 * There is support in place for implementations of remote command execution
740 in Make. See the file remote.c.
744 * No more than 10 directories will be kept open at once.
745 (This number can be changed by redefining MAX_OPEN_DIRECTORIES in dir.c.)
749 * Archive files will have their modification times recorded before doing
750 anything that might change their modification times by updating an archive
755 * The `MAKELEVEL' variable is defined for use by makefiles.
759 * The recursion level indications in error messages are much shorter than
760 they were in version 3.14.
764 * Leading spaces before directives are ignored (as documented).
766 * Included makefiles can determine the default goal target.
767 (System V Make does it this way, so we are being compatible).
771 * Variables that are defaults built into Make will not be put in the
772 environment for children. This just saves some environment space and,
773 except under -e, will be transparent to sub-makes.
775 * Error messages from sub-makes will indicate the level of recursion.
777 * Hopefully some speed-up for large directories due to a change in the
778 directory hashing scheme.
780 * One child will always get a standard input that is usable.
782 * Default makefiles that don't exist will be remade and read in.
786 * Count parentheses inside expansion function calls so you can
787 have nested calls: `$(sort $(foreach x,a b,$(x)))'.
791 * Several bug fixes, including USG and Sun386i support.
793 * `shell' function to expand shell commands a la `
795 * If the `-d' flag is given, version information will be printed.
797 * The `-c' option has been renamed to `-C' for compatibility with tar.
799 * The `-p' option no longer inhibits other normal operation.
801 * Makefiles will be updated and re-read if necessary.
803 * Can now run several commands at once (parallelism), -j option.
805 * Error messages will contain the level of Make recursion, if any.
807 * The `MAKEFLAGS' and `MFLAGS' variables will be scanned for options after
810 * A double-colon rule with no dependencies will always have its commands run.
811 (This is how both the BSD and System V versions of Make do it.)
815 (Changes from versions 1 through 3.05 were never recorded. Sorry.)
817 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
818 Copyright information:
820 Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies
821 of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the
822 copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved, thus
823 giving the recipient permission to redistribute in turn.
825 Permission is granted to distribute modified versions of this
826 document, or of portions of it, under the above conditions, provided
827 also that they carry prominent notices stating who last changed them.