make

builds programs from source

TLDR

Build the default target

$ make

Build a specific target

$ make [target]

Run parallel jobs

$ make -j [4]

Use a specific makefile

$ make -f [Makefile.custom]

Dry run (print commands without executing)

$ make -n

Override a variable

$ make [VAR=value] [target]

Change to a directory before building

$ make -C [path/to/dir]

Force rebuild of all targets

$ make -B

SYNOPSIS

make [options] [target] [VAR=value ...]

make is a build automation tool that reads instructions from a Makefile to compile and link programs from source code. Each Makefile defines targets (the files to build), their dependencies (the source files they rely on), and the shell commands needed to produce them. When invoked, make constructs a dependency graph and executes only the commands whose targets are out of date.The tool determines what needs rebuilding by comparing file modification timestamps — if a source file is newer than its corresponding target, that target is rebuilt along with anything that depends on it. This incremental approach avoids redundant recompilation and can dramatically speed up large builds. The `-j` flag enables parallel execution of independent targets across multiple CPU cores, further reducing build times.Make's rule-based system also supports pattern rules, implicit rules, and variables, allowing concise Makefiles that scale from simple single-file projects to complex multi-directory software systems. Variables can be overridden on the command line (`make CC=clang`), and the special target `clean` is a conventional name for removing build artifacts.

PARAMETERS

TARGET

Target to build. Defaults to the first target in the Makefile.

-f FILE

Read FILE as the makefile.

-j [N]

Run up to N jobs in parallel. Without N, no limit is imposed.

-n, --dry-run

Print commands that would be executed without running them.

-B, --always-make

Unconditionally rebuild all targets.

-C DIR

Change to DIR before reading makefiles or doing anything else.

-k, --keep-going

Continue building other targets even after an error.

-s, --silent

Do not print commands as they are executed.

-p

Print the internal database of rules and variables, then proceed normally.

-q, --question

Return exit status 0 if targets are up to date, nonzero otherwise; execute nothing.

-r, --no-builtin-rules

Disable built-in implicit rules.

-d

Print verbose debugging information about files and rules considered.

-I DIR

Search DIR for included makefiles.

--help

Display help information.

CAVEATS

Recipe lines in a Makefile must be indented with a real tab character, not spaces. Behavior may differ between GNU make, BSD make, and other implementations. Parallel builds (`-j`) can expose undeclared dependencies.

HISTORY

make was created by Stuart Feldman at Bell Labs in 1976, making it one of the oldest and most widely used build tools in software development.