1 @comment This file is included by both standards.texi and make.texinfo.
2 @comment It was broken out of standards.texi on 1/6/93 by roland.
4 @node Makefile Conventions
5 @chapter Makefile Conventions
6 @comment standards.texi does not print an index, but make.texinfo does.
7 @cindex makefile, conventions for
8 @cindex conventions for makefiles
9 @cindex standards for makefiles
11 @c Copyright 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 Free
12 @c Software Foundation, Inc.
14 @c Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
15 @c under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
16 @c or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
17 @c with no Invariant Sections, with no
18 @c Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.
19 @c A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU
20 @c Free Documentation License''.
34 describes conventions for writing the Makefiles for GNU programs.
35 Using Automake will help you write a Makefile that follows these
39 * Makefile Basics:: General Conventions for Makefiles
40 * Utilities in Makefiles:: Utilities in Makefiles
41 * Command Variables:: Variables for Specifying Commands
42 * Directory Variables:: Variables for Installation Directories
43 * Standard Targets:: Standard Targets for Users
44 * Install Command Categories:: Three categories of commands in the `install'
45 rule: normal, pre-install and post-install.
49 @section General Conventions for Makefiles
51 Every Makefile should contain this line:
58 to avoid trouble on systems where the @code{SHELL} variable might be
59 inherited from the environment. (This is never a problem with GNU
62 Different @code{make} programs have incompatible suffix lists and
63 implicit rules, and this sometimes creates confusion or misbehavior. So
64 it is a good idea to set the suffix list explicitly using only the
65 suffixes you need in the particular Makefile, like this:
73 The first line clears out the suffix list, the second introduces all
74 suffixes which may be subject to implicit rules in this Makefile.
76 Don't assume that @file{.} is in the path for command execution. When
77 you need to run programs that are a part of your package during the
78 make, please make sure that it uses @file{./} if the program is built as
79 part of the make or @file{$(srcdir)/} if the file is an unchanging part
80 of the source code. Without one of these prefixes, the current search
83 The distinction between @file{./} (the @dfn{build directory}) and
84 @file{$(srcdir)/} (the @dfn{source directory}) is important because
85 users can build in a separate directory using the @samp{--srcdir} option
86 to @file{configure}. A rule of the form:
89 foo.1 : foo.man sedscript
90 sed -e sedscript foo.man > foo.1
94 will fail when the build directory is not the source directory, because
95 @file{foo.man} and @file{sedscript} are in the source directory.
97 When using GNU @code{make}, relying on @samp{VPATH} to find the source
98 file will work in the case where there is a single dependency file,
99 since the @code{make} automatic variable @samp{$<} will represent the
100 source file wherever it is. (Many versions of @code{make} set @samp{$<}
101 only in implicit rules.) A Makefile target like
105 $(CC) -I. -I$(srcdir) $(CFLAGS) -c bar.c -o foo.o
109 should instead be written as
113 $(CC) -I. -I$(srcdir) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@@
117 in order to allow @samp{VPATH} to work correctly. When the target has
118 multiple dependencies, using an explicit @samp{$(srcdir)} is the easiest
119 way to make the rule work well. For example, the target above for
120 @file{foo.1} is best written as:
123 foo.1 : foo.man sedscript
124 sed -e $(srcdir)/sedscript $(srcdir)/foo.man > $@@
127 GNU distributions usually contain some files which are not source
128 files---for example, Info files, and the output from Autoconf, Automake,
129 Bison or Flex. Since these files normally appear in the source
130 directory, they should always appear in the source directory, not in the
131 build directory. So Makefile rules to update them should put the
132 updated files in the source directory.
134 However, if a file does not appear in the distribution, then the
135 Makefile should not put it in the source directory, because building a
136 program in ordinary circumstances should not modify the source directory
139 Try to make the build and installation targets, at least (and all their
140 subtargets) work correctly with a parallel @code{make}.
142 @node Utilities in Makefiles
143 @section Utilities in Makefiles
145 Write the Makefile commands (and any shell scripts, such as
146 @code{configure}) to run in @code{sh}, not in @code{csh}. Don't use any
147 special features of @code{ksh} or @code{bash}.
149 The @code{configure} script and the Makefile rules for building and
150 installation should not use any utilities directly except these:
153 @c gunzip gzip md5sum
154 @c mkfifo mknod tee uname
157 cat cmp cp diff echo egrep expr false grep install-info
158 ln ls mkdir mv pwd rm rmdir sed sleep sort tar test touch true
161 The compression program @code{gzip} can be used in the @code{dist} rule.
163 Stick to the generally supported options for these programs. For
164 example, don't use @samp{mkdir -p}, convenient as it may be, because
165 most systems don't support it.
167 It is a good idea to avoid creating symbolic links in makefiles, since a
168 few systems don't support them.
170 The Makefile rules for building and installation can also use compilers
171 and related programs, but should do so via @code{make} variables so that the
172 user can substitute alternatives. Here are some of the programs we
176 ar bison cc flex install ld ldconfig lex
177 make makeinfo ranlib texi2dvi yacc
180 Use the following @code{make} variables to run those programs:
183 $(AR) $(BISON) $(CC) $(FLEX) $(INSTALL) $(LD) $(LDCONFIG) $(LEX)
184 $(MAKE) $(MAKEINFO) $(RANLIB) $(TEXI2DVI) $(YACC)
187 When you use @code{ranlib} or @code{ldconfig}, you should make sure
188 nothing bad happens if the system does not have the program in question.
189 Arrange to ignore an error from that command, and print a message before
190 the command to tell the user that failure of this command does not mean
191 a problem. (The Autoconf @samp{AC_PROG_RANLIB} macro can help with
194 If you use symbolic links, you should implement a fallback for systems
195 that don't have symbolic links.
197 Additional utilities that can be used via Make variables are:
200 chgrp chmod chown mknod
203 It is ok to use other utilities in Makefile portions (or scripts)
204 intended only for particular systems where you know those utilities
207 @node Command Variables
208 @section Variables for Specifying Commands
210 Makefiles should provide variables for overriding certain commands, options,
213 In particular, you should run most utility programs via variables.
214 Thus, if you use Bison, have a variable named @code{BISON} whose default
215 value is set with @samp{BISON = bison}, and refer to it with
216 @code{$(BISON)} whenever you need to use Bison.
218 File management utilities such as @code{ln}, @code{rm}, @code{mv}, and
219 so on, need not be referred to through variables in this way, since users
220 don't need to replace them with other programs.
222 Each program-name variable should come with an options variable that is
223 used to supply options to the program. Append @samp{FLAGS} to the
224 program-name variable name to get the options variable name---for
225 example, @code{BISONFLAGS}. (The names @code{CFLAGS} for the C
226 compiler, @code{YFLAGS} for yacc, and @code{LFLAGS} for lex, are
227 exceptions to this rule, but we keep them because they are standard.)
228 Use @code{CPPFLAGS} in any compilation command that runs the
229 preprocessor, and use @code{LDFLAGS} in any compilation command that
230 does linking as well as in any direct use of @code{ld}.
232 If there are C compiler options that @emph{must} be used for proper
233 compilation of certain files, do not include them in @code{CFLAGS}.
234 Users expect to be able to specify @code{CFLAGS} freely themselves.
235 Instead, arrange to pass the necessary options to the C compiler
236 independently of @code{CFLAGS}, by writing them explicitly in the
237 compilation commands or by defining an implicit rule, like this:
241 ALL_CFLAGS = -I. $(CFLAGS)
243 $(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $<
246 Do include the @samp{-g} option in @code{CFLAGS}, because that is not
247 @emph{required} for proper compilation. You can consider it a default
248 that is only recommended. If the package is set up so that it is
249 compiled with GCC by default, then you might as well include @samp{-O}
250 in the default value of @code{CFLAGS} as well.
252 Put @code{CFLAGS} last in the compilation command, after other variables
253 containing compiler options, so the user can use @code{CFLAGS} to
256 @code{CFLAGS} should be used in every invocation of the C compiler,
257 both those which do compilation and those which do linking.
259 Every Makefile should define the variable @code{INSTALL}, which is the
260 basic command for installing a file into the system.
262 Every Makefile should also define the variables @code{INSTALL_PROGRAM}
263 and @code{INSTALL_DATA}. (The default for @code{INSTALL_PROGRAM} should
264 be @code{$(INSTALL)}; the default for @code{INSTALL_DATA} should be
265 @code{$@{INSTALL@} -m 644}.) Then it should use those variables as the
266 commands for actual installation, for executables and nonexecutables
267 respectively. Use these variables as follows:
270 $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) foo $(bindir)/foo
271 $(INSTALL_DATA) libfoo.a $(libdir)/libfoo.a
274 Optionally, you may prepend the value of @code{DESTDIR} to the target
275 filename. Doing this allows the installer to create a snapshot of the
276 installation to be copied onto the real target filesystem later. Do not
277 set the value of @code{DESTDIR} in your Makefile, and do not include it
278 in any installed files. With support for @code{DESTDIR}, the above
282 $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) foo $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/foo
283 $(INSTALL_DATA) libfoo.a $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libfoo.a
287 Always use a file name, not a directory name, as the second argument of
288 the installation commands. Use a separate command for each file to be
291 @node Directory Variables
292 @section Variables for Installation Directories
294 Installation directories should always be named by variables, so it is
295 easy to install in a nonstandard place. The standard names for these
296 variables are described below. They are based on a standard filesystem
297 layout; variants of it are used in SVR4, 4.4BSD, GNU/Linux, Ultrix v4,
298 and other modern operating systems.
300 These two variables set the root for the installation. All the other
301 installation directories should be subdirectories of one of these two,
302 and nothing should be directly installed into these two directories.
307 A prefix used in constructing the default values of the variables listed
308 below. The default value of @code{prefix} should be @file{/usr/local}.
309 When building the complete GNU system, the prefix will be empty and
310 @file{/usr} will be a symbolic link to @file{/}.
311 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@prefix@@}.)
313 Running @samp{make install} with a different value of @code{prefix} from
314 the one used to build the program should @emph{not} recompile the
319 A prefix used in constructing the default values of some of the
320 variables listed below. The default value of @code{exec_prefix} should
322 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@exec_prefix@@}.)
324 Generally, @code{$(exec_prefix)} is used for directories that contain
325 machine-specific files (such as executables and subroutine libraries),
326 while @code{$(prefix)} is used directly for other directories.
328 Running @samp{make install} with a different value of @code{exec_prefix}
329 from the one used to build the program should @emph{not} recompile the
333 Executable programs are installed in one of the following directories.
338 The directory for installing executable programs that users can run.
339 This should normally be @file{/usr/local/bin}, but write it as
340 @file{$(exec_prefix)/bin}.
341 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@bindir@@}.)
345 The directory for installing executable programs that can be run from
346 the shell, but are only generally useful to system administrators. This
347 should normally be @file{/usr/local/sbin}, but write it as
348 @file{$(exec_prefix)/sbin}.
349 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sbindir@@}.)
353 @comment This paragraph adjusted to avoid overfull hbox --roland 5jul94
354 The directory for installing executable programs to be run by other
355 programs rather than by users. This directory should normally be
356 @file{/usr/local/libexec}, but write it as @file{$(exec_prefix)/libexec}.
357 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@libexecdir@@}.)
360 Data files used by the program during its execution are divided into
361 categories in two ways.
365 Some files are normally modified by programs; others are never normally
366 modified (though users may edit some of these).
369 Some files are architecture-independent and can be shared by all
370 machines at a site; some are architecture-dependent and can be shared
371 only by machines of the same kind and operating system; others may never
372 be shared between two machines.
375 This makes for six different possibilities. However, we want to
376 discourage the use of architecture-dependent files, aside from object
377 files and libraries. It is much cleaner to make other data files
378 architecture-independent, and it is generally not hard.
380 Here are the variables Makefiles should use to specify directories
381 to put these various kinds of files in:
385 The root of the directory tree for read-only architecture-independent
386 data files. This should normally be @file{/usr/local/share}, but
387 write it as @file{$(prefix)/share}. @samp{datadir}'s default value is
388 based on this variable; so are @samp{infodir}, @samp{mandir}, and others.
391 The directory for installing ideosyncratic read-only
392 architecture-independent data files for this program. This is usually
393 the same place as @samp{datarootdir}, but we use the two separate
394 variables so that you can move these ideosyncratic files without
395 altering the location for Info files, man pages, etc.
397 The default definition of @samp{datadir} should be
398 @file{$(datarootdir)}. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
402 The directory for installing read-only data files that pertain to a
403 single machine--that is to say, files for configuring a host. Mailer
404 and network configuration files, @file{/etc/passwd}, and so forth belong
405 here. All the files in this directory should be ordinary ASCII text
406 files. This directory should normally be @file{/usr/local/etc}, but
407 write it as @file{$(prefix)/etc}.
408 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sysconfdir@@}.)
410 Do not install executables here in this directory (they probably belong
411 in @file{$(libexecdir)} or @file{$(sbindir)}). Also do not install
412 files that are modified in the normal course of their use (programs
413 whose purpose is to change the configuration of the system excluded).
414 Those probably belong in @file{$(localstatedir)}.
417 The directory for installing architecture-independent data files which
418 the programs modify while they run. This should normally be
419 @file{/usr/local/com}, but write it as @file{$(prefix)/com}.
420 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sharedstatedir@@}.)
423 The directory for installing data files which the programs modify while
424 they run, and that pertain to one specific machine. Users should never
425 need to modify files in this directory to configure the package's
426 operation; put such configuration information in separate files that go
427 in @file{$(datadir)} or @file{$(sysconfdir)}. @file{$(localstatedir)}
428 should normally be @file{/usr/local/var}, but write it as
429 @file{$(prefix)/var}.
430 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@localstatedir@@}.)
433 These variables specify the directory for installing certain specific
434 types of files, if your program has them. Every GNU package should
435 have Info files, so every program needs @samp{infodir}, but not all
436 need @samp{libdir} or @samp{lispdir}.
440 @c rewritten to avoid overfull hbox --roland
441 The directory for installing header files to be included by user
442 programs with the C @samp{#include} preprocessor directive. This
443 should normally be @file{/usr/local/include}, but write it as
444 @file{$(prefix)/include}.
445 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@includedir@@}.)
447 Most compilers other than GCC do not look for header files in directory
448 @file{/usr/local/include}. So installing the header files this way is
449 only useful with GCC. Sometimes this is not a problem because some
450 libraries are only really intended to work with GCC. But some libraries
451 are intended to work with other compilers. They should install their
452 header files in two places, one specified by @code{includedir} and one
453 specified by @code{oldincludedir}.
456 The directory for installing @samp{#include} header files for use with
457 compilers other than GCC. This should normally be @file{/usr/include}.
458 (If you are using Autoconf, you can write it as @samp{@@oldincludedir@@}.)
460 The Makefile commands should check whether the value of
461 @code{oldincludedir} is empty. If it is, they should not try to use
462 it; they should cancel the second installation of the header files.
464 A package should not replace an existing header in this directory unless
465 the header came from the same package. Thus, if your Foo package
466 provides a header file @file{foo.h}, then it should install the header
467 file in the @code{oldincludedir} directory if either (1) there is no
468 @file{foo.h} there or (2) the @file{foo.h} that exists came from the Foo
471 To tell whether @file{foo.h} came from the Foo package, put a magic
472 string in the file---part of a comment---and @code{grep} for that string.
475 The directory for installing the Info files for this package. By
476 default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/info}, but it should be
477 written as @file{$(datarootdir)/info}. (If you are using Autoconf,
478 write it as @samp{@@infodir@@}.)
481 The directory for object files and libraries of object code. Do not
482 install executables here, they probably ought to go in @file{$(libexecdir)}
483 instead. The value of @code{libdir} should normally be
484 @file{/usr/local/lib}, but write it as @file{$(exec_prefix)/lib}.
485 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@libdir@@}.)
488 The directory for installing any Emacs Lisp files in this package. By
489 default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp}, but it
490 should be written as @file{$(datarootdir)/emacs/site-lisp}.
492 If you are using Autoconf, write the default as @samp{@@lispdir@@}.
493 In order to make @samp{@@lispdir@@} work, you need the following lines
494 in your @file{configure.in} file:
497 lispdir='$@{datarootdir@}/emacs/site-lisp'
502 The directory for installing locale-specific message catalogs for this
503 package. By default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/locale}, but
504 it should be written as @file{$(datarootdir)/locale}. (If you are
505 using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@localedir@@}.)
508 Unix-style man pages are installed in one of the following:
512 The top-level directory for installing the man pages (if any) for this
513 package. It will normally be @file{/usr/local/share/man}, but you
514 should write it as @file{$(datarootdir)/man}. (If you are using
515 Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@mandir@@}.)
518 The directory for installing section 1 man pages. Write it as
519 @file{$(mandir)/man1}.
521 The directory for installing section 2 man pages. Write it as
522 @file{$(mandir)/man2}
525 @strong{Don't make the primary documentation for any GNU software be a
526 man page. Write a manual in Texinfo instead. Man pages are just for
527 the sake of people running GNU software on Unix, which is a secondary
531 The file name extension for the installed man page. This should contain
532 a period followed by the appropriate digit; it should normally be @samp{.1}.
535 The file name extension for installed section 1 man pages.
537 The file name extension for installed section 2 man pages.
539 Use these names instead of @samp{manext} if the package needs to install man
540 pages in more than one section of the manual.
543 And finally, you should set the following variable:
547 The directory for the sources being compiled. The value of this
548 variable is normally inserted by the @code{configure} shell script.
549 (If you are using Autconf, use @samp{srcdir = @@srcdir@@}.)
555 @c I have changed some of the comments here slightly to fix an overfull
556 @c hbox, so the make manual can format correctly. --roland
557 # Common prefix for installation directories.
558 # NOTE: This directory must exist when you start the install.
560 datarootdir = $(prefix)/share
561 datadir = $(datarootdir)
562 exec_prefix = $(prefix)
563 # Where to put the executable for the command `gcc'.
564 bindir = $(exec_prefix)/bin
565 # Where to put the directories used by the compiler.
566 libexecdir = $(exec_prefix)/libexec
567 # Where to put the Info files.
568 infodir = $(datarootdir)/info
571 If your program installs a large number of files into one of the
572 standard user-specified directories, it might be useful to group them
573 into a subdirectory particular to that program. If you do this, you
574 should write the @code{install} rule to create these subdirectories.
576 Do not expect the user to include the subdirectory name in the value of
577 any of the variables listed above. The idea of having a uniform set of
578 variable names for installation directories is to enable the user to
579 specify the exact same values for several different GNU packages. In
580 order for this to be useful, all the packages must be designed so that
581 they will work sensibly when the user does so.
583 @node Standard Targets
584 @section Standard Targets for Users
586 All GNU programs should have the following targets in their Makefiles:
590 Compile the entire program. This should be the default target. This
591 target need not rebuild any documentation files; Info files should
592 normally be included in the distribution, and DVI files should be made
593 only when explicitly asked for.
595 By default, the Make rules should compile and link with @samp{-g}, so
596 that executable programs have debugging symbols. Users who don't mind
597 being helpless can strip the executables later if they wish.
600 Compile the program and copy the executables, libraries, and so on to
601 the file names where they should reside for actual use. If there is a
602 simple test to verify that a program is properly installed, this target
603 should run that test.
605 Do not strip executables when installing them. Devil-may-care users can
606 use the @code{install-strip} target to do that.
608 If possible, write the @code{install} target rule so that it does not
609 modify anything in the directory where the program was built, provided
610 @samp{make all} has just been done. This is convenient for building the
611 program under one user name and installing it under another.
613 The commands should create all the directories in which files are to be
614 installed, if they don't already exist. This includes the directories
615 specified as the values of the variables @code{prefix} and
616 @code{exec_prefix}, as well as all subdirectories that are needed.
617 One way to do this is by means of an @code{installdirs} target
620 Use @samp{-} before any command for installing a man page, so that
621 @code{make} will ignore any errors. This is in case there are systems
622 that don't have the Unix man page documentation system installed.
624 The way to install Info files is to copy them into @file{$(infodir)}
625 with @code{$(INSTALL_DATA)} (@pxref{Command Variables}), and then run
626 the @code{install-info} program if it is present. @code{install-info}
627 is a program that edits the Info @file{dir} file to add or update the
628 menu entry for the given Info file; it is part of the Texinfo package.
629 Here is a sample rule to install an Info file:
631 @comment This example has been carefully formatted for the Make manual.
632 @comment Please do not reformat it without talking to roland@gnu.ai.mit.edu.
634 $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info: foo.info
636 # There may be a newer info file in . than in srcdir.
637 -if test -f foo.info; then d=.; \
638 else d=$(srcdir); fi; \
639 $(INSTALL_DATA) $$d/foo.info $(DESTDIR)$@@; \
640 # Run install-info only if it exists.
641 # Use `if' instead of just prepending `-' to the
642 # line so we notice real errors from install-info.
643 # We use `$(SHELL) -c' because some shells do not
644 # fail gracefully when there is an unknown command.
645 if $(SHELL) -c 'install-info --version' \
646 >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
647 install-info --dir-file=$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/dir \
648 $(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info; \
652 When writing the @code{install} target, you must classify all the
653 commands into three categories: normal ones, @dfn{pre-installation}
654 commands and @dfn{post-installation} commands. @xref{Install Command
658 Delete all the installed files---the copies that the @samp{install}
661 This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is done,
662 only the directories where files are installed.
664 The uninstallation commands are divided into three categories, just like
665 the installation commands. @xref{Install Command Categories}.
668 Like @code{install}, but strip the executable files while installing
669 them. In simple cases, this target can use the @code{install} target in
674 $(MAKE) INSTALL_PROGRAM='$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) -s' \
678 But if the package installs scripts as well as real executables, the
679 @code{install-strip} target can't just refer to the @code{install}
680 target; it has to strip the executables but not the scripts.
682 @code{install-strip} should not strip the executables in the build
683 directory which are being copied for installation. It should only strip
684 the copies that are installed.
686 Normally we do not recommend stripping an executable unless you are sure
687 the program has no bugs. However, it can be reasonable to install a
688 stripped executable for actual execution while saving the unstripped
689 executable elsewhere in case there is a bug.
691 @comment The gratuitous blank line here is to make the table look better
692 @comment in the printed Make manual. Please leave it in.
695 Delete all files from the current directory that are normally created by
696 building the program. Don't delete the files that record the
697 configuration. Also preserve files that could be made by building, but
698 normally aren't because the distribution comes with them.
700 Delete @file{.dvi} files here if they are not part of the distribution.
703 Delete all files from the current directory that are created by
704 configuring or building the program. If you have unpacked the source
705 and built the program without creating any other files, @samp{make
706 distclean} should leave only the files that were in the distribution.
709 Like @samp{clean}, but may refrain from deleting a few files that people
710 normally don't want to recompile. For example, the @samp{mostlyclean}
711 target for GCC does not delete @file{libgcc.a}, because recompiling it
712 is rarely necessary and takes a lot of time.
714 @item maintainer-clean
715 Delete almost everything from the current directory that can be
716 reconstructed with this Makefile. This typically includes everything
717 deleted by @code{distclean}, plus more: C source files produced by
718 Bison, tags tables, Info files, and so on.
720 The reason we say ``almost everything'' is that running the command
721 @samp{make maintainer-clean} should not delete @file{configure} even if
722 @file{configure} can be remade using a rule in the Makefile. More generally,
723 @samp{make maintainer-clean} should not delete anything that needs to
724 exist in order to run @file{configure} and then begin to build the
725 program. This is the only exception; @code{maintainer-clean} should
726 delete everything else that can be rebuilt.
728 The @samp{maintainer-clean} target is intended to be used by a maintainer of
729 the package, not by ordinary users. You may need special tools to
730 reconstruct some of the files that @samp{make maintainer-clean} deletes.
731 Since these files are normally included in the distribution, we don't
732 take care to make them easy to reconstruct. If you find you need to
733 unpack the full distribution again, don't blame us.
735 To help make users aware of this, the commands for the special
736 @code{maintainer-clean} target should start with these two:
739 @@echo 'This command is intended for maintainers to use; it'
740 @@echo 'deletes files that may need special tools to rebuild.'
744 Update a tags table for this program.
748 Generate any Info files needed. The best way to write the rules is as
754 foo.info: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
755 $(MAKEINFO) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
759 You must define the variable @code{MAKEINFO} in the Makefile. It should
760 run the @code{makeinfo} program, which is part of the Texinfo
763 Normally a GNU distribution comes with Info files, and that means the
764 Info files are present in the source directory. Therefore, the Make
765 rule for an info file should update it in the source directory. When
766 users build the package, ordinarily Make will not update the Info files
767 because they will already be up to date.
770 Generate DVI files for all Texinfo documentation.
776 foo.dvi: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
777 $(TEXI2DVI) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
781 You must define the variable @code{TEXI2DVI} in the Makefile. It should
782 run the program @code{texi2dvi}, which is part of the Texinfo
783 distribution.@footnote{@code{texi2dvi} uses @TeX{} to do the real work
784 of formatting. @TeX{} is not distributed with Texinfo.} Alternatively,
785 write just the dependencies, and allow GNU @code{make} to provide the command.
788 Create a distribution tar file for this program. The tar file should be
789 set up so that the file names in the tar file start with a subdirectory
790 name which is the name of the package it is a distribution for. This
791 name can include the version number.
793 For example, the distribution tar file of GCC version 1.40 unpacks into
794 a subdirectory named @file{gcc-1.40}.
796 The easiest way to do this is to create a subdirectory appropriately
797 named, use @code{ln} or @code{cp} to install the proper files in it, and
798 then @code{tar} that subdirectory.
800 Compress the tar file with @code{gzip}. For example, the actual
801 distribution file for GCC version 1.40 is called @file{gcc-1.40.tar.gz}.
803 The @code{dist} target should explicitly depend on all non-source files
804 that are in the distribution, to make sure they are up to date in the
807 @xref{Releases, , Making Releases}.
810 @xref{Releases, , Making Releases, standards, GNU Coding Standards}.
814 Perform self-tests (if any). The user must build the program before
815 running the tests, but need not install the program; you should write
816 the self-tests so that they work when the program is built but not
820 The following targets are suggested as conventional names, for programs
821 in which they are useful.
825 Perform installation tests (if any). The user must build and install
826 the program before running the tests. You should not assume that
827 @file{$(bindir)} is in the search path.
830 It's useful to add a target named @samp{installdirs} to create the
831 directories where files are installed, and their parent directories.
832 There is a script called @file{mkinstalldirs} which is convenient for
833 this; you can find it in the Texinfo package.
834 @c It's in /gd/gnu/lib/mkinstalldirs.
835 You can use a rule like this:
837 @comment This has been carefully formatted to look decent in the Make manual.
838 @comment Please be sure not to make it extend any further to the right.--roland
840 # Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
841 # actually exist by making them if necessary.
842 installdirs: mkinstalldirs
843 $(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs $(bindir) $(datadir) \
844 $(libdir) $(infodir) \
849 or, if you wish to support @env{DESTDIR},
852 # Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
853 # actually exist by making them if necessary.
854 installdirs: mkinstalldirs
855 $(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs \
856 $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir) \
857 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) $(DESTDIR)$(infodir) \
861 This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is done.
862 It should do nothing but create installation directories.
865 @node Install Command Categories
866 @section Install Command Categories
868 @cindex pre-installation commands
869 @cindex post-installation commands
870 When writing the @code{install} target, you must classify all the
871 commands into three categories: normal ones, @dfn{pre-installation}
872 commands and @dfn{post-installation} commands.
874 Normal commands move files into their proper places, and set their
875 modes. They may not alter any files except the ones that come entirely
876 from the package they belong to.
878 Pre-installation and post-installation commands may alter other files;
879 in particular, they can edit global configuration files or data bases.
881 Pre-installation commands are typically executed before the normal
882 commands, and post-installation commands are typically run after the
885 The most common use for a post-installation command is to run
886 @code{install-info}. This cannot be done with a normal command, since
887 it alters a file (the Info directory) which does not come entirely and
888 solely from the package being installed. It is a post-installation
889 command because it needs to be done after the normal command which
890 installs the package's Info files.
892 Most programs don't need any pre-installation commands, but we have the
893 feature just in case it is needed.
895 To classify the commands in the @code{install} rule into these three
896 categories, insert @dfn{category lines} among them. A category line
897 specifies the category for the commands that follow.
899 A category line consists of a tab and a reference to a special Make
900 variable, plus an optional comment at the end. There are three
901 variables you can use, one for each category; the variable name
902 specifies the category. Category lines are no-ops in ordinary execution
903 because these three Make variables are normally undefined (and you
904 @emph{should not} define them in the makefile).
906 Here are the three possible category lines, each with a comment that
907 explains what it means:
910 $(PRE_INSTALL) # @r{Pre-install commands follow.}
911 $(POST_INSTALL) # @r{Post-install commands follow.}
912 $(NORMAL_INSTALL) # @r{Normal commands follow.}
915 If you don't use a category line at the beginning of the @code{install}
916 rule, all the commands are classified as normal until the first category
917 line. If you don't use any category lines, all the commands are
918 classified as normal.
920 These are the category lines for @code{uninstall}:
923 $(PRE_UNINSTALL) # @r{Pre-uninstall commands follow.}
924 $(POST_UNINSTALL) # @r{Post-uninstall commands follow.}
925 $(NORMAL_UNINSTALL) # @r{Normal commands follow.}
928 Typically, a pre-uninstall command would be used for deleting entries
929 from the Info directory.
931 If the @code{install} or @code{uninstall} target has any dependencies
932 which act as subroutines of installation, then you should start
933 @emph{each} dependency's commands with a category line, and start the
934 main target's commands with a category line also. This way, you can
935 ensure that each command is placed in the right category regardless of
936 which of the dependencies actually run.
938 Pre-installation and post-installation commands should not run any
939 programs except for these:
942 [ basename bash cat chgrp chmod chown cmp cp dd diff echo
943 egrep expand expr false fgrep find getopt grep gunzip gzip
944 hostname install install-info kill ldconfig ln ls md5sum
945 mkdir mkfifo mknod mv printenv pwd rm rmdir sed sort tee
946 test touch true uname xargs yes
949 @cindex binary packages
950 The reason for distinguishing the commands in this way is for the sake
951 of making binary packages. Typically a binary package contains all the
952 executables and other files that need to be installed, and has its own
953 method of installing them---so it does not need to run the normal
954 installation commands. But installing the binary package does need to
955 execute the pre-installation and post-installation commands.
957 Programs to build binary packages work by extracting the
958 pre-installation and post-installation commands. Here is one way of
959 extracting the pre-installation commands:
962 make -n install -o all \
963 PRE_INSTALL=pre-install \
964 POST_INSTALL=post-install \
965 NORMAL_INSTALL=normal-install \
966 | gawk -f pre-install.awk
970 where the file @file{pre-install.awk} could contain this:
973 $0 ~ /^\t[ \t]*(normal_install|post_install)[ \t]*$/ @{on = 0@}
975 $0 ~ /^\t[ \t]*pre_install[ \t]*$/ @{on = 1@}
978 The resulting file of pre-installation commands is executed as a shell
979 script as part of installing the binary package.