Is this a bug in GNU make 3.80?

[DervishD]

    Hi all :)

    In the GNU make info file, section 'Options/Recursion', you
mention that you can use the MAKEFLAGS variable to set additional
options to be in effect in that Makefile. Ok, I need to run a
Makefile with '-R' in effect, so I set MAKEFLAGS to 'R' (I've tested
with '-R' too), but in this makefile the default set of variables and
implicit rules is present. In fact, the expected results are obtained
running 'make -R', but not by merely set MAKEFLAGS. Is this a bug or
an intended behaviour?

    If I set MAKEFLAGS in the environment, it works correctly. The
problem seems to be that the MAKEFLAGS contents, if read from a
Makefile, are not (obviously) used until that point, but the default
suffixes, implicit rules and variables are set a few lines above in
main.c so they have no effect... By reading the code I notice that it
will be a bit complicated not to do it that way, but then you cannot
use any option in MAKEFLAGS if set in the makefile. That should be
fixed or, if it is very difficult to implement, stated clearly in the
info manual.

    Thanks a lot for GNU make, and for make it free software :) If I
can help in any way, just tell.

    Raúl Núñez de Arenas Coronado

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