Re: [PATCH v3 0/4] tools: Add a toplevel Makefile

Sam Ravnborg
2012-03-31T18:49:11Z

>
> One question. Instead of:
>
> make tools/perf_install
>
> Couldnt we beat kbuild into submission to allow the much more
> obvious:
>
> make tools/perf install
>
> ?
It is more obvious if you look at it alone.
But when you look at it with the other commands then you suddenly
end up confused when you need to specify the command as a
separate target "tools/perf install - and when it is just
one target "tools/perf_install".

>
> I don't think anyone would expect the *kernel* to be installed
> in such a circumstance - so it's only a question of making the
> Makefile understand it, right?
Make will try to update the two targets "tools/perf" and "install"
in parallel. And it does not look easy to teach make that when you
specify the target "tools/*" then the install target should just
be ignored and passed down to the sub-make.

Anything that adds more complexity to the top-level Makefile should
be avoided if at all possible. It is un-maintainable as-is.
And the consistency issue is also important.

I know that if I do "make install" the kernel will be installed.
So one could argue that the same should apply to
the targets below tools/.
But then this should be for all targets and not just install.
If someone come up with a clean way to do so it is fine.
but the original proposal with "tinstall" just do not cut it.

Sam