make -k returns zero exit status even for included Makefile failures

[Bob Byrnes]

Consider the following ...

----------------------------------------
shell> uname -a
Linux wildcard.curl.com 2.4.20-18.9 #1 Thu May 29 07:08:16 EDT 2003 i686 i686 
i386 GNU/Linux

shell> make --version
GNU Make 3.80
Copyright (C) 2002  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

shell> cat Makefile
all:

nonexistent: /no-such-file
        false

include nonexistent
----------------------------------------

If I run GNU make without any options, it fails and returns a nonzero
exit status:

----------------------------------------
shell> make ; echo "make exit status = $?"
Makefile:13: nonexistent: No such file or directory
make: *** No rule to make target `/no-such-file', needed by `nonexistent'.  
Stop.
make exit status = 2
----------------------------------------

I think this behavior is correct.

However, if I use make -k, it returns a zero exit status:

----------------------------------------
shell> make -k ; echo "make exit status = $?"
Makefile:13: nonexistent: No such file or directory
make: *** No rule to make target `/no-such-file', needed by `nonexistent'.
make: Failed to remake makefile `nonexistent'.
make: Nothing to be done for `all'.
make exit status = 0
----------------------------------------

This seems like a bug.  IMO, make -k should only allow extra work to be
done, but should never alter the exit status, and it seems wrong for the
last example to have apparently "succeeded."

--
Bob Byrnes                        e-mail: address@hidden
Curl Corporation                  phone:  617-761-1238
1 Cambridge Center, 10th Floor    fax:    617-761-1201
Cambridge, MA 02142-1612