Re: Wrong error message 'No rule to make target' instead of 'makefile not found'

[Paul Smith]

On Wed, 2009-04-01 at 09:52 +0200, bestellrep1 wrote:
> Please keep my email-address confidential, as I don't want to get spam.

Sorry, but this is a mailing list.  Anyone can subscribe.  Plus it's
archived in numerous places, all of which are publicly available and
searchable.

> The command (1)
>   make elf
> gives the result "make: *** No rule to make target `elf'.  Stop."
> when no makefile exists.
> 
> The command (2)
>   make -f mmm aaa
> gives the result
>   make: mmm: No such file or directory
>   make: *** No rule to make target `mmm'.  Stop.
> 
> I'd prefer to get the "No such file or directory" in every case
> when the makefile is not found.

This can't be done for various reasons:
     1. It's not an error to have no makefile: make has builtin rules
        that are quite capable of doing useful work without any makefile
        being present in the directory.
     2. Make can read various different files as makefiles: Makefile,
        makefile, and GNUmakefile.  All of them are optional.  It's not
        correct to show an error for any file that's missing.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
 http://www.gnu.org                      http://make.mad-scientist.us
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist