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 @cindex makefile, conventions for
7 @cindex conventions for makefiles
8 @cindex standards for makefiles
10 @c Copyright 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001,
11 @c 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
13 @c Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
14 @c under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
15 @c or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
16 @c with no Invariant Sections, with no
17 @c Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.
18 @c A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU
19 @c Free Documentation License''.
33 describes conventions for writing the Makefiles for GNU programs.
34 Using Automake will help you write a Makefile that follows these
35 conventions. For more information on portable Makefiles, see
36 @sc{posix} and @ref{Portable Make, Portable Make Programming,, autoconf,
41 * Makefile Basics:: General conventions for Makefiles.
42 * Utilities in Makefiles:: Utilities to be used in Makefiles.
43 * Command Variables:: Variables for specifying commands.
44 * DESTDIR:: Supporting staged installs.
45 * Directory Variables:: Variables for installation directories.
46 * Standard Targets:: Standard targets for users.
47 * Install Command Categories:: Three categories of commands in the `install'
48 rule: normal, pre-install and post-install.
52 @section General Conventions for Makefiles
54 Every Makefile should contain this line:
61 to avoid trouble on systems where the @code{SHELL} variable might be
62 inherited from the environment. (This is never a problem with GNU
65 Different @code{make} programs have incompatible suffix lists and
66 implicit rules, and this sometimes creates confusion or misbehavior. So
67 it is a good idea to set the suffix list explicitly using only the
68 suffixes you need in the particular Makefile, like this:
76 The first line clears out the suffix list, the second introduces all
77 suffixes which may be subject to implicit rules in this Makefile.
79 Don't assume that @file{.} is in the path for command execution. When
80 you need to run programs that are a part of your package during the
81 make, please make sure that it uses @file{./} if the program is built as
82 part of the make or @file{$(srcdir)/} if the file is an unchanging part
83 of the source code. Without one of these prefixes, the current search
86 The distinction between @file{./} (the @dfn{build directory}) and
87 @file{$(srcdir)/} (the @dfn{source directory}) is important because
88 users can build in a separate directory using the @samp{--srcdir} option
89 to @file{configure}. A rule of the form:
92 foo.1 : foo.man sedscript
93 sed -f sedscript foo.man > foo.1
97 will fail when the build directory is not the source directory, because
98 @file{foo.man} and @file{sedscript} are in the source directory.
100 When using GNU @code{make}, relying on @samp{VPATH} to find the source
101 file will work in the case where there is a single dependency file,
102 since the @code{make} automatic variable @samp{$<} will represent the
103 source file wherever it is. (Many versions of @code{make} set @samp{$<}
104 only in implicit rules.) A Makefile target like
108 $(CC) -I. -I$(srcdir) $(CFLAGS) -c bar.c -o foo.o
112 should instead be written as
116 $(CC) -I. -I$(srcdir) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@@
120 in order to allow @samp{VPATH} to work correctly. When the target has
121 multiple dependencies, using an explicit @samp{$(srcdir)} is the easiest
122 way to make the rule work well. For example, the target above for
123 @file{foo.1} is best written as:
126 foo.1 : foo.man sedscript
127 sed -f $(srcdir)/sedscript $(srcdir)/foo.man > $@@
130 GNU distributions usually contain some files which are not source
131 files---for example, Info files, and the output from Autoconf, Automake,
132 Bison or Flex. Since these files normally appear in the source
133 directory, they should always appear in the source directory, not in the
134 build directory. So Makefile rules to update them should put the
135 updated files in the source directory.
137 However, if a file does not appear in the distribution, then the
138 Makefile should not put it in the source directory, because building a
139 program in ordinary circumstances should not modify the source directory
142 Try to make the build and installation targets, at least (and all their
143 subtargets) work correctly with a parallel @code{make}.
145 @node Utilities in Makefiles
146 @section Utilities in Makefiles
148 Write the Makefile commands (and any shell scripts, such as
149 @code{configure}) to run under @code{sh} (both the traditional Bourne
150 shell and the @sc{posix} shell), not @code{csh}. Don't use any
151 special features of @code{ksh} or @code{bash}, or @sc{posix} features
152 not widely supported in traditional Bourne @code{sh}.
154 The @code{configure} script and the Makefile rules for building and
155 installation should not use any utilities directly except these:
158 @c gunzip gzip md5sum
159 @c mkfifo mknod tee uname
162 awk cat cmp cp diff echo egrep expr false grep install-info ln ls
163 mkdir mv printf pwd rm rmdir sed sleep sort tar test touch tr true
166 Compression programs such as @code{gzip} can be used in the
169 Generally, stick to the widely-supported (usually
170 @sc{posix}-specified) options and features of these programs. For
171 example, don't use @samp{mkdir -p}, convenient as it may be, because a
172 few systems don't support it at all and with others, it is not safe
173 for parallel execution. For a list of known incompatibilities, see
174 @ref{Portable Shell, Portable Shell Programming,, autoconf, Autoconf}.
177 It is a good idea to avoid creating symbolic links in makefiles, since a
178 few file systems don't support them.
180 The Makefile rules for building and installation can also use compilers
181 and related programs, but should do so via @code{make} variables so that the
182 user can substitute alternatives. Here are some of the programs we
186 ar bison cc flex install ld ldconfig lex
187 make makeinfo ranlib texi2dvi yacc
190 Use the following @code{make} variables to run those programs:
193 $(AR) $(BISON) $(CC) $(FLEX) $(INSTALL) $(LD) $(LDCONFIG) $(LEX)
194 $(MAKE) $(MAKEINFO) $(RANLIB) $(TEXI2DVI) $(YACC)
197 When you use @code{ranlib} or @code{ldconfig}, you should make sure
198 nothing bad happens if the system does not have the program in question.
199 Arrange to ignore an error from that command, and print a message before
200 the command to tell the user that failure of this command does not mean
201 a problem. (The Autoconf @samp{AC_PROG_RANLIB} macro can help with
204 If you use symbolic links, you should implement a fallback for systems
205 that don't have symbolic links.
207 Additional utilities that can be used via Make variables are:
210 chgrp chmod chown mknod
213 It is ok to use other utilities in Makefile portions (or scripts)
214 intended only for particular systems where you know those utilities
217 @node Command Variables
218 @section Variables for Specifying Commands
220 Makefiles should provide variables for overriding certain commands, options,
223 In particular, you should run most utility programs via variables.
224 Thus, if you use Bison, have a variable named @code{BISON} whose default
225 value is set with @samp{BISON = bison}, and refer to it with
226 @code{$(BISON)} whenever you need to use Bison.
228 File management utilities such as @code{ln}, @code{rm}, @code{mv}, and
229 so on, need not be referred to through variables in this way, since users
230 don't need to replace them with other programs.
232 Each program-name variable should come with an options variable that is
233 used to supply options to the program. Append @samp{FLAGS} to the
234 program-name variable name to get the options variable name---for
235 example, @code{BISONFLAGS}. (The names @code{CFLAGS} for the C
236 compiler, @code{YFLAGS} for yacc, and @code{LFLAGS} for lex, are
237 exceptions to this rule, but we keep them because they are standard.)
238 Use @code{CPPFLAGS} in any compilation command that runs the
239 preprocessor, and use @code{LDFLAGS} in any compilation command that
240 does linking as well as in any direct use of @code{ld}.
242 If there are C compiler options that @emph{must} be used for proper
243 compilation of certain files, do not include them in @code{CFLAGS}.
244 Users expect to be able to specify @code{CFLAGS} freely themselves.
245 Instead, arrange to pass the necessary options to the C compiler
246 independently of @code{CFLAGS}, by writing them explicitly in the
247 compilation commands or by defining an implicit rule, like this:
251 ALL_CFLAGS = -I. $(CFLAGS)
253 $(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $<
256 Do include the @samp{-g} option in @code{CFLAGS}, because that is not
257 @emph{required} for proper compilation. You can consider it a default
258 that is only recommended. If the package is set up so that it is
259 compiled with GCC by default, then you might as well include @samp{-O}
260 in the default value of @code{CFLAGS} as well.
262 Put @code{CFLAGS} last in the compilation command, after other variables
263 containing compiler options, so the user can use @code{CFLAGS} to
266 @code{CFLAGS} should be used in every invocation of the C compiler,
267 both those which do compilation and those which do linking.
269 Every Makefile should define the variable @code{INSTALL}, which is the
270 basic command for installing a file into the system.
272 Every Makefile should also define the variables @code{INSTALL_PROGRAM}
273 and @code{INSTALL_DATA}. (The default for @code{INSTALL_PROGRAM} should
274 be @code{$(INSTALL)}; the default for @code{INSTALL_DATA} should be
275 @code{$@{INSTALL@} -m 644}.) Then it should use those variables as the
276 commands for actual installation, for executables and non-executables
277 respectively. Minimal use of these variables is as follows:
280 $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) foo $(bindir)/foo
281 $(INSTALL_DATA) libfoo.a $(libdir)/libfoo.a
284 However, it is preferable to support a @code{DESTDIR} prefix on the
285 target files, as explained in the next section.
287 It is acceptable, but not required, to install multiple files in one
288 command, with the final argument being a directory, as in:
291 $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) foo bar baz $(bindir)
296 @section @code{DESTDIR}: Support for Staged Installs
299 @cindex staged installs
300 @cindex installations, staged
302 @code{DESTDIR} is a variable prepended to each installed target file,
306 $(INSTALL_PROGRAM) foo $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/foo
307 $(INSTALL_DATA) libfoo.a $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libfoo.a
310 The @code{DESTDIR} variable is specified by the user on the @code{make}
311 command line as an absolute file name. For example:
314 make DESTDIR=/tmp/stage install
318 @code{DESTDIR} should be supported only in the @code{install*} and
319 @code{uninstall*} targets, as those are the only targets where it is
322 If your installation step would normally install
323 @file{/usr/local/bin/foo} and @file{/usr/local/lib/libfoo.a}, then an
324 installation invoked as in the example above would install
325 @file{/tmp/stage/usr/local/bin/foo} and
326 @file{/tmp/stage/usr/local/lib/libfoo.a} instead.
328 Prepending the variable @code{DESTDIR} to each target in this way
329 provides for @dfn{staged installs}, where the installed files are not
330 placed directly into their expected location but are instead copied
331 into a temporary location (@code{DESTDIR}). However, installed files
332 maintain their relative directory structure and any embedded file names
333 will not be modified.
335 You should not set the value of @code{DESTDIR} in your @file{Makefile}
336 at all; then the files are installed into their expected locations by
337 default. Also, specifying @code{DESTDIR} should not change the
338 operation of the software in any way, so its value should not be
339 included in any file contents.
341 @code{DESTDIR} support is commonly used in package creation. It is
342 also helpful to users who want to understand what a given package will
343 install where, and to allow users who don't normally have permissions
344 to install into protected areas to build and install before gaining
345 those permissions. Finally, it can be useful with tools such as
346 @code{stow}, where code is installed in one place but made to appear
347 to be installed somewhere else using symbolic links or special mount
348 operations. So, we strongly recommend GNU packages support
349 @code{DESTDIR}, though it is not an absolute requirement.
352 @node Directory Variables
353 @section Variables for Installation Directories
355 Installation directories should always be named by variables, so it is
356 easy to install in a nonstandard place. The standard names for these
357 variables and the values they should have in GNU packages are
358 described below. They are based on a standard file system layout;
359 variants of it are used in GNU/Linux and other modern operating
362 Installers are expected to override these values when calling
363 @command{make} (e.g., @kbd{make prefix=/usr install} or
364 @command{configure} (e.g., @kbd{configure --prefix=/usr}). GNU
365 packages should not try to guess which value should be appropriate for
366 these variables on the system they are being installed onto: use the
367 default settings specified here so that all GNU packages behave
368 identically, allowing the installer to achieve any desired layout.
370 @cindex directories, creating installation
371 @cindex installation directories, creating
372 All installation directories, and their parent directories, should be
373 created (if necessary) before they are installed into.
375 These first two variables set the root for the installation. All the
376 other installation directories should be subdirectories of one of
377 these two, and nothing should be directly installed into these two
383 A prefix used in constructing the default values of the variables listed
384 below. The default value of @code{prefix} should be @file{/usr/local}.
385 When building the complete GNU system, the prefix will be empty and
386 @file{/usr} will be a symbolic link to @file{/}.
387 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@prefix@@}.)
389 Running @samp{make install} with a different value of @code{prefix} from
390 the one used to build the program should @emph{not} recompile the
395 A prefix used in constructing the default values of some of the
396 variables listed below. The default value of @code{exec_prefix} should
398 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@exec_prefix@@}.)
400 Generally, @code{$(exec_prefix)} is used for directories that contain
401 machine-specific files (such as executables and subroutine libraries),
402 while @code{$(prefix)} is used directly for other directories.
404 Running @samp{make install} with a different value of @code{exec_prefix}
405 from the one used to build the program should @emph{not} recompile the
409 Executable programs are installed in one of the following directories.
414 The directory for installing executable programs that users can run.
415 This should normally be @file{/usr/local/bin}, but write it as
416 @file{$(exec_prefix)/bin}.
417 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@bindir@@}.)
421 The directory for installing executable programs that can be run from
422 the shell, but are only generally useful to system administrators. This
423 should normally be @file{/usr/local/sbin}, but write it as
424 @file{$(exec_prefix)/sbin}.
425 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sbindir@@}.)
429 @comment This paragraph adjusted to avoid overfull hbox --roland 5jul94
430 The directory for installing executable programs to be run by other
431 programs rather than by users. This directory should normally be
432 @file{/usr/local/libexec}, but write it as @file{$(exec_prefix)/libexec}.
433 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@libexecdir@@}.)
435 The definition of @samp{libexecdir} is the same for all packages, so
436 you should install your data in a subdirectory thereof. Most packages
437 install their data under @file{$(libexecdir)/@var{package-name}/},
438 possibly within additional subdirectories thereof, such as
439 @file{$(libexecdir)/@var{package-name}/@var{machine}/@var{version}}.
442 Data files used by the program during its execution are divided into
443 categories in two ways.
447 Some files are normally modified by programs; others are never normally
448 modified (though users may edit some of these).
451 Some files are architecture-independent and can be shared by all
452 machines at a site; some are architecture-dependent and can be shared
453 only by machines of the same kind and operating system; others may never
454 be shared between two machines.
457 This makes for six different possibilities. However, we want to
458 discourage the use of architecture-dependent files, aside from object
459 files and libraries. It is much cleaner to make other data files
460 architecture-independent, and it is generally not hard.
462 Here are the variables Makefiles should use to specify directories
463 to put these various kinds of files in:
467 The root of the directory tree for read-only architecture-independent
468 data files. This should normally be @file{/usr/local/share}, but
469 write it as @file{$(prefix)/share}. (If you are using Autoconf, write
470 it as @samp{@@datarootdir@@}.) @samp{datadir}'s default value is
471 based on this variable; so are @samp{infodir}, @samp{mandir}, and
475 The directory for installing idiosyncratic read-only
476 architecture-independent data files for this program. This is usually
477 the same place as @samp{datarootdir}, but we use the two separate
478 variables so that you can move these program-specific files without
479 altering the location for Info files, man pages, etc.
481 This should normally be @file{/usr/local/share}, but write it as
482 @file{$(datarootdir)}. (If you are using Autoconf, write it as
485 The definition of @samp{datadir} is the same for all packages, so you
486 should install your data in a subdirectory thereof. Most packages
487 install their data under @file{$(datadir)/@var{package-name}/}.
490 The directory for installing read-only data files that pertain to a
491 single machine--that is to say, files for configuring a host. Mailer
492 and network configuration files, @file{/etc/passwd}, and so forth belong
493 here. All the files in this directory should be ordinary ASCII text
494 files. This directory should normally be @file{/usr/local/etc}, but
495 write it as @file{$(prefix)/etc}.
496 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sysconfdir@@}.)
498 Do not install executables here in this directory (they probably belong
499 in @file{$(libexecdir)} or @file{$(sbindir)}). Also do not install
500 files that are modified in the normal course of their use (programs
501 whose purpose is to change the configuration of the system excluded).
502 Those probably belong in @file{$(localstatedir)}.
505 The directory for installing architecture-independent data files which
506 the programs modify while they run. This should normally be
507 @file{/usr/local/com}, but write it as @file{$(prefix)/com}.
508 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@sharedstatedir@@}.)
511 The directory for installing data files which the programs modify while
512 they run, and that pertain to one specific machine. Users should never
513 need to modify files in this directory to configure the package's
514 operation; put such configuration information in separate files that go
515 in @file{$(datadir)} or @file{$(sysconfdir)}. @file{$(localstatedir)}
516 should normally be @file{/usr/local/var}, but write it as
517 @file{$(prefix)/var}.
518 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@localstatedir@@}.)
521 These variables specify the directory for installing certain specific
522 types of files, if your program has them. Every GNU package should
523 have Info files, so every program needs @samp{infodir}, but not all
524 need @samp{libdir} or @samp{lispdir}.
528 The directory for installing header files to be included by user
529 programs with the C @samp{#include} preprocessor directive. This
530 should normally be @file{/usr/local/include}, but write it as
531 @file{$(prefix)/include}.
532 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@includedir@@}.)
534 Most compilers other than GCC do not look for header files in directory
535 @file{/usr/local/include}. So installing the header files this way is
536 only useful with GCC. Sometimes this is not a problem because some
537 libraries are only really intended to work with GCC. But some libraries
538 are intended to work with other compilers. They should install their
539 header files in two places, one specified by @code{includedir} and one
540 specified by @code{oldincludedir}.
543 The directory for installing @samp{#include} header files for use with
544 compilers other than GCC. This should normally be @file{/usr/include}.
545 (If you are using Autoconf, you can write it as @samp{@@oldincludedir@@}.)
547 The Makefile commands should check whether the value of
548 @code{oldincludedir} is empty. If it is, they should not try to use
549 it; they should cancel the second installation of the header files.
551 A package should not replace an existing header in this directory unless
552 the header came from the same package. Thus, if your Foo package
553 provides a header file @file{foo.h}, then it should install the header
554 file in the @code{oldincludedir} directory if either (1) there is no
555 @file{foo.h} there or (2) the @file{foo.h} that exists came from the Foo
558 To tell whether @file{foo.h} came from the Foo package, put a magic
559 string in the file---part of a comment---and @code{grep} for that string.
562 The directory for installing documentation files (other than Info) for
563 this package. By default, it should be
564 @file{/usr/local/share/doc/@var{yourpkg}}, but it should be written as
565 @file{$(datarootdir)/doc/@var{yourpkg}}. (If you are using Autoconf,
566 write it as @samp{@@docdir@@}.) The @var{yourpkg} subdirectory, which
567 may include a version number, prevents collisions among files with
568 common names, such as @file{README}.
571 The directory for installing the Info files for this package. By
572 default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/info}, but it should be
573 written as @file{$(datarootdir)/info}. (If you are using Autoconf,
574 write it as @samp{@@infodir@@}.) @code{infodir} is separate from
575 @code{docdir} for compatibility with existing practice.
581 Directories for installing documentation files in the particular
582 format. They should all be set to @code{$(docdir)} by default. (If
583 you are using Autoconf, write them as @samp{@@htmldir@@},
584 @samp{@@dvidir@@}, etc.) Packages which supply several translations
585 of their documentation should install them in
586 @samp{$(htmldir)/}@var{ll}, @samp{$(pdfdir)/}@var{ll}, etc. where
587 @var{ll} is a locale abbreviation such as @samp{en} or @samp{pt_BR}.
590 The directory for object files and libraries of object code. Do not
591 install executables here, they probably ought to go in @file{$(libexecdir)}
592 instead. The value of @code{libdir} should normally be
593 @file{/usr/local/lib}, but write it as @file{$(exec_prefix)/lib}.
594 (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@libdir@@}.)
597 The directory for installing any Emacs Lisp files in this package. By
598 default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp}, but it
599 should be written as @file{$(datarootdir)/emacs/site-lisp}.
601 If you are using Autoconf, write the default as @samp{@@lispdir@@}.
602 In order to make @samp{@@lispdir@@} work, you need the following lines
603 in your @file{configure.in} file:
606 lispdir='$@{datarootdir@}/emacs/site-lisp'
611 The directory for installing locale-specific message catalogs for this
612 package. By default, it should be @file{/usr/local/share/locale}, but
613 it should be written as @file{$(datarootdir)/locale}. (If you are
614 using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@localedir@@}.) This directory
615 usually has a subdirectory per locale.
618 Unix-style man pages are installed in one of the following:
622 The top-level directory for installing the man pages (if any) for this
623 package. It will normally be @file{/usr/local/share/man}, but you
624 should write it as @file{$(datarootdir)/man}. (If you are using
625 Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@mandir@@}.)
628 The directory for installing section 1 man pages. Write it as
629 @file{$(mandir)/man1}.
631 The directory for installing section 2 man pages. Write it as
632 @file{$(mandir)/man2}
635 @strong{Don't make the primary documentation for any GNU software be a
636 man page. Write a manual in Texinfo instead. Man pages are just for
637 the sake of people running GNU software on Unix, which is a secondary
641 The file name extension for the installed man page. This should contain
642 a period followed by the appropriate digit; it should normally be @samp{.1}.
645 The file name extension for installed section 1 man pages.
647 The file name extension for installed section 2 man pages.
649 Use these names instead of @samp{manext} if the package needs to install man
650 pages in more than one section of the manual.
653 And finally, you should set the following variable:
657 The directory for the sources being compiled. The value of this
658 variable is normally inserted by the @code{configure} shell script.
659 (If you are using Autoconf, use @samp{srcdir = @@srcdir@@}.)
665 @c I have changed some of the comments here slightly to fix an overfull
666 @c hbox, so the make manual can format correctly. --roland
667 # Common prefix for installation directories.
668 # NOTE: This directory must exist when you start the install.
670 datarootdir = $(prefix)/share
671 datadir = $(datarootdir)
672 exec_prefix = $(prefix)
673 # Where to put the executable for the command `gcc'.
674 bindir = $(exec_prefix)/bin
675 # Where to put the directories used by the compiler.
676 libexecdir = $(exec_prefix)/libexec
677 # Where to put the Info files.
678 infodir = $(datarootdir)/info
681 If your program installs a large number of files into one of the
682 standard user-specified directories, it might be useful to group them
683 into a subdirectory particular to that program. If you do this, you
684 should write the @code{install} rule to create these subdirectories.
686 Do not expect the user to include the subdirectory name in the value of
687 any of the variables listed above. The idea of having a uniform set of
688 variable names for installation directories is to enable the user to
689 specify the exact same values for several different GNU packages. In
690 order for this to be useful, all the packages must be designed so that
691 they will work sensibly when the user does so.
693 At times, not all of these variables may be implemented in the current
694 release of Autoconf and/or Automake; but as of Autoconf@tie{}2.60, we
695 believe all of them are. When any are missing, the descriptions here
696 serve as specifications for what Autoconf will implement. As a
697 programmer, you can either use a development version of Autoconf or
698 avoid using these variables until a stable release is made which
702 @node Standard Targets
703 @section Standard Targets for Users
705 All GNU programs should have the following targets in their Makefiles:
709 Compile the entire program. This should be the default target. This
710 target need not rebuild any documentation files; Info files should
711 normally be included in the distribution, and DVI (and other
712 documentation format) files should be made only when explicitly asked
715 By default, the Make rules should compile and link with @samp{-g}, so
716 that executable programs have debugging symbols. Users who don't mind
717 being helpless can strip the executables later if they wish.
720 Compile the program and copy the executables, libraries, and so on to
721 the file names where they should reside for actual use. If there is a
722 simple test to verify that a program is properly installed, this target
723 should run that test.
725 Do not strip executables when installing them. Devil-may-care users can
726 use the @code{install-strip} target to do that.
728 If possible, write the @code{install} target rule so that it does not
729 modify anything in the directory where the program was built, provided
730 @samp{make all} has just been done. This is convenient for building the
731 program under one user name and installing it under another.
733 The commands should create all the directories in which files are to be
734 installed, if they don't already exist. This includes the directories
735 specified as the values of the variables @code{prefix} and
736 @code{exec_prefix}, as well as all subdirectories that are needed.
737 One way to do this is by means of an @code{installdirs} target
740 Use @samp{-} before any command for installing a man page, so that
741 @code{make} will ignore any errors. This is in case there are systems
742 that don't have the Unix man page documentation system installed.
744 The way to install Info files is to copy them into @file{$(infodir)}
745 with @code{$(INSTALL_DATA)} (@pxref{Command Variables}), and then run
746 the @code{install-info} program if it is present. @code{install-info}
747 is a program that edits the Info @file{dir} file to add or update the
748 menu entry for the given Info file; it is part of the Texinfo package.
750 Here is a sample rule to install an Info file that also tries to
751 handle some additional situations, such as @code{install-info} not
754 @comment This example has been carefully formatted for the Make manual.
755 @comment Please do not reformat it without talking to bug-make@gnu.org.
757 do-install-info: foo.info installdirs
759 # Prefer an info file in . to one in srcdir.
760 if test -f foo.info; then d=.; \
761 else d="$(srcdir)"; fi; \
762 $(INSTALL_DATA) $$d/foo.info \
763 "$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info"
764 # Run install-info only if it exists.
765 # Use `if' instead of just prepending `-' to the
766 # line so we notice real errors from install-info.
767 # Use `$(SHELL) -c' because some shells do not
768 # fail gracefully when there is an unknown command.
770 if $(SHELL) -c 'install-info --version' \
771 >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
772 install-info --dir-file="$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/dir" \
773 "$(DESTDIR)$(infodir)/foo.info"; \
777 When writing the @code{install} target, you must classify all the
778 commands into three categories: normal ones, @dfn{pre-installation}
779 commands and @dfn{post-installation} commands. @xref{Install Command
786 These targets install documentation in formats other than Info;
787 they're intended to be called explicitly by the person installing the
788 package, if that format is desired. GNU prefers Info files, so these
789 must be installed by the @code{install} target.
791 When you have many documentation files to install, we recommend that
792 you avoid collisions and clutter by arranging for these targets to
793 install in subdirectories of the appropriate installation directory,
794 such as @code{htmldir}. As one example, if your package has multiple
795 manuals, and you wish to install HTML documentation with many files
796 (such as the ``split'' mode output by @code{makeinfo --html}), you'll
797 certainly want to use subdirectories, or two nodes with the same name
798 in different manuals will overwrite each other.
800 Please make these @code{install-@var{format}} targets invoke the
801 commands for the @var{format} target, for example, by making
802 @var{format} a dependency.
805 Delete all the installed files---the copies that the @samp{install}
806 and @samp{install-*} targets create.
808 This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is done,
809 only the directories where files are installed.
811 The uninstallation commands are divided into three categories, just like
812 the installation commands. @xref{Install Command Categories}.
815 Like @code{install}, but strip the executable files while installing
816 them. In simple cases, this target can use the @code{install} target in
821 $(MAKE) INSTALL_PROGRAM='$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) -s' \
825 But if the package installs scripts as well as real executables, the
826 @code{install-strip} target can't just refer to the @code{install}
827 target; it has to strip the executables but not the scripts.
829 @code{install-strip} should not strip the executables in the build
830 directory which are being copied for installation. It should only strip
831 the copies that are installed.
833 Normally we do not recommend stripping an executable unless you are sure
834 the program has no bugs. However, it can be reasonable to install a
835 stripped executable for actual execution while saving the unstripped
836 executable elsewhere in case there is a bug.
838 @comment The gratuitous blank line here is to make the table look better
839 @comment in the printed Make manual. Please leave it in.
842 Delete all files in the current directory that are normally created by
843 building the program. Also delete files in other directories if they
844 are created by this makefile. However, don't delete the files that
845 record the configuration. Also preserve files that could be made by
846 building, but normally aren't because the distribution comes with
847 them. There is no need to delete parent directories that were created
848 with @samp{mkdir -p}, since they could have existed anyway.
850 Delete @file{.dvi} files here if they are not part of the distribution.
853 Delete all files in the current directory (or created by this
854 makefile) that are created by configuring or building the program. If
855 you have unpacked the source and built the program without creating
856 any other files, @samp{make distclean} should leave only the files
857 that were in the distribution. However, there is no need to delete
858 parent directories that were created with @samp{mkdir -p}, since they
859 could have existed anyway.
862 Like @samp{clean}, but may refrain from deleting a few files that people
863 normally don't want to recompile. For example, the @samp{mostlyclean}
864 target for GCC does not delete @file{libgcc.a}, because recompiling it
865 is rarely necessary and takes a lot of time.
867 @item maintainer-clean
868 Delete almost everything that can be reconstructed with this Makefile.
869 This typically includes everything deleted by @code{distclean}, plus
870 more: C source files produced by Bison, tags tables, Info files, and
873 The reason we say ``almost everything'' is that running the command
874 @samp{make maintainer-clean} should not delete @file{configure} even
875 if @file{configure} can be remade using a rule in the Makefile. More
876 generally, @samp{make maintainer-clean} should not delete anything
877 that needs to exist in order to run @file{configure} and then begin to
878 build the program. Also, there is no need to delete parent
879 directories that were created with @samp{mkdir -p}, since they could
880 have existed anyway. These are the only exceptions;
881 @code{maintainer-clean} should delete everything else that can be
884 The @samp{maintainer-clean} target is intended to be used by a maintainer of
885 the package, not by ordinary users. You may need special tools to
886 reconstruct some of the files that @samp{make maintainer-clean} deletes.
887 Since these files are normally included in the distribution, we don't
888 take care to make them easy to reconstruct. If you find you need to
889 unpack the full distribution again, don't blame us.
891 To help make users aware of this, the commands for the special
892 @code{maintainer-clean} target should start with these two:
895 @@echo 'This command is intended for maintainers to use; it'
896 @@echo 'deletes files that may need special tools to rebuild.'
900 Update a tags table for this program.
904 Generate any Info files needed. The best way to write the rules is as
910 foo.info: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
911 $(MAKEINFO) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
915 You must define the variable @code{MAKEINFO} in the Makefile. It should
916 run the @code{makeinfo} program, which is part of the Texinfo
919 Normally a GNU distribution comes with Info files, and that means the
920 Info files are present in the source directory. Therefore, the Make
921 rule for an info file should update it in the source directory. When
922 users build the package, ordinarily Make will not update the Info files
923 because they will already be up to date.
929 Generate documentation files in the given format. These targets
930 should always exist, but any or all can be a no-op if the given output
931 format cannot be generated. These targets should not be dependencies
932 of the @code{all} target; the user must manually invoke them.
934 Here's an example rule for generating DVI files from Texinfo:
939 foo.dvi: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
940 $(TEXI2DVI) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
944 You must define the variable @code{TEXI2DVI} in the Makefile. It should
945 run the program @code{texi2dvi}, which is part of the Texinfo
946 distribution.@footnote{@code{texi2dvi} uses @TeX{} to do the real work
947 of formatting. @TeX{} is not distributed with Texinfo.} Alternatively,
948 write just the dependencies, and allow GNU @code{make} to provide the command.
950 Here's another example, this one for generating HTML from Texinfo:
955 foo.html: foo.texi chap1.texi chap2.texi
956 $(TEXI2HTML) $(srcdir)/foo.texi
960 Again, you would define the variable @code{TEXI2HTML} in the Makefile;
961 for example, it might run @code{makeinfo --no-split --html}
962 (@command{makeinfo} is part of the Texinfo distribution).
965 Create a distribution tar file for this program. The tar file should be
966 set up so that the file names in the tar file start with a subdirectory
967 name which is the name of the package it is a distribution for. This
968 name can include the version number.
970 For example, the distribution tar file of GCC version 1.40 unpacks into
971 a subdirectory named @file{gcc-1.40}.
973 The easiest way to do this is to create a subdirectory appropriately
974 named, use @code{ln} or @code{cp} to install the proper files in it, and
975 then @code{tar} that subdirectory.
977 Compress the tar file with @code{gzip}. For example, the actual
978 distribution file for GCC version 1.40 is called @file{gcc-1.40.tar.gz}.
979 It is ok to support other free compression formats as well.
981 The @code{dist} target should explicitly depend on all non-source files
982 that are in the distribution, to make sure they are up to date in the
985 @xref{Releases, , Making Releases}.
988 @xref{Releases, , Making Releases, standards, GNU Coding Standards}.
992 Perform self-tests (if any). The user must build the program before
993 running the tests, but need not install the program; you should write
994 the self-tests so that they work when the program is built but not
998 The following targets are suggested as conventional names, for programs
999 in which they are useful.
1003 Perform installation tests (if any). The user must build and install
1004 the program before running the tests. You should not assume that
1005 @file{$(bindir)} is in the search path.
1008 It's useful to add a target named @samp{installdirs} to create the
1009 directories where files are installed, and their parent directories.
1010 There is a script called @file{mkinstalldirs} which is convenient for
1011 this; you can find it in the Gnulib package.
1012 You can use a rule like this:
1014 @comment This has been carefully formatted to look decent in the Make manual.
1015 @comment Please be sure not to make it extend any further to the right.--roland
1017 # Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
1018 # actually exist by making them if necessary.
1019 installdirs: mkinstalldirs
1020 $(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs $(bindir) $(datadir) \
1021 $(libdir) $(infodir) \
1026 or, if you wish to support @env{DESTDIR} (strongly encouraged),
1029 # Make sure all installation directories (e.g. $(bindir))
1030 # actually exist by making them if necessary.
1031 installdirs: mkinstalldirs
1032 $(srcdir)/mkinstalldirs \
1033 $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir) \
1034 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) $(DESTDIR)$(infodir) \
1038 This rule should not modify the directories where compilation is done.
1039 It should do nothing but create installation directories.
1042 @node Install Command Categories
1043 @section Install Command Categories
1045 @cindex pre-installation commands
1046 @cindex post-installation commands
1047 When writing the @code{install} target, you must classify all the
1048 commands into three categories: normal ones, @dfn{pre-installation}
1049 commands and @dfn{post-installation} commands.
1051 Normal commands move files into their proper places, and set their
1052 modes. They may not alter any files except the ones that come entirely
1053 from the package they belong to.
1055 Pre-installation and post-installation commands may alter other files;
1056 in particular, they can edit global configuration files or data bases.
1058 Pre-installation commands are typically executed before the normal
1059 commands, and post-installation commands are typically run after the
1062 The most common use for a post-installation command is to run
1063 @code{install-info}. This cannot be done with a normal command, since
1064 it alters a file (the Info directory) which does not come entirely and
1065 solely from the package being installed. It is a post-installation
1066 command because it needs to be done after the normal command which
1067 installs the package's Info files.
1069 Most programs don't need any pre-installation commands, but we have the
1070 feature just in case it is needed.
1072 To classify the commands in the @code{install} rule into these three
1073 categories, insert @dfn{category lines} among them. A category line
1074 specifies the category for the commands that follow.
1076 A category line consists of a tab and a reference to a special Make
1077 variable, plus an optional comment at the end. There are three
1078 variables you can use, one for each category; the variable name
1079 specifies the category. Category lines are no-ops in ordinary execution
1080 because these three Make variables are normally undefined (and you
1081 @emph{should not} define them in the makefile).
1083 Here are the three possible category lines, each with a comment that
1084 explains what it means:
1087 $(PRE_INSTALL) # @r{Pre-install commands follow.}
1088 $(POST_INSTALL) # @r{Post-install commands follow.}
1089 $(NORMAL_INSTALL) # @r{Normal commands follow.}
1092 If you don't use a category line at the beginning of the @code{install}
1093 rule, all the commands are classified as normal until the first category
1094 line. If you don't use any category lines, all the commands are
1095 classified as normal.
1097 These are the category lines for @code{uninstall}:
1100 $(PRE_UNINSTALL) # @r{Pre-uninstall commands follow.}
1101 $(POST_UNINSTALL) # @r{Post-uninstall commands follow.}
1102 $(NORMAL_UNINSTALL) # @r{Normal commands follow.}
1105 Typically, a pre-uninstall command would be used for deleting entries
1106 from the Info directory.
1108 If the @code{install} or @code{uninstall} target has any dependencies
1109 which act as subroutines of installation, then you should start
1110 @emph{each} dependency's commands with a category line, and start the
1111 main target's commands with a category line also. This way, you can
1112 ensure that each command is placed in the right category regardless of
1113 which of the dependencies actually run.
1115 Pre-installation and post-installation commands should not run any
1116 programs except for these:
1119 [ basename bash cat chgrp chmod chown cmp cp dd diff echo
1120 egrep expand expr false fgrep find getopt grep gunzip gzip
1121 hostname install install-info kill ldconfig ln ls md5sum
1122 mkdir mkfifo mknod mv printenv pwd rm rmdir sed sort tee
1123 test touch true uname xargs yes
1126 @cindex binary packages
1127 The reason for distinguishing the commands in this way is for the sake
1128 of making binary packages. Typically a binary package contains all the
1129 executables and other files that need to be installed, and has its own
1130 method of installing them---so it does not need to run the normal
1131 installation commands. But installing the binary package does need to
1132 execute the pre-installation and post-installation commands.
1134 Programs to build binary packages work by extracting the
1135 pre-installation and post-installation commands. Here is one way of
1136 extracting the pre-installation commands (the @option{-s} option to
1137 @command{make} is needed to silence messages about entering
1141 make -s -n install -o all \
1142 PRE_INSTALL=pre-install \
1143 POST_INSTALL=post-install \
1144 NORMAL_INSTALL=normal-install \
1145 | gawk -f pre-install.awk
1149 where the file @file{pre-install.awk} could contain this:
1152 $0 ~ /^(normal-install|post-install)[ \t]*$/ @{on = 0@}
1154 $0 ~ /^pre-install[ \t]*$/ @{on = 1@}