GNU make alleged of "bug" (was: PATCH: cdrecord: avoiding scsi device numbering for ide devices)

Matthias Andree
2004-08-19T19:47:41Z

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004, Gene Heskett wrote:

> Humm, I got many many losses of header stuff messages from:
> [root@coyote cdrecord]# make --version
> GNU Make 3.80

The "bug" is not specific to GNU make 3.80 but can also be seen in
3.78.1 for instance.

The "bug" however is purely cosmetical.

GNU make writes a message that an "include" file is missing, but it
finds it has a rule, generates the include file, pulls it in and
continues as though the file had always been there.

For instance if you have this Makefile:

# BEGIN Makefile
all: hello
hello.d:
makedepend -f- hello.c >$@
include hello.d
# END Makefile

You'll get at "make" time:

Makefile:5: hello.d: No such file or directory
makedepend -f- hello.c >hello.d
cc hello.o -o hello

and a working hello program.

Jörg's complaints about GNU make aren't false but aren't helpful either
and certainly don't warrant waiting 15 seconds after that message.

There is no bug, just this confusing "Makefile:5: hello.d: No such file
or directory".

> So apparently 3.80 is a regression in this case.

No, it isn't.

--
Matthias Andree

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