It's a shame that none of the programming groups here are about
compiled languages, so I'll just dump this here.

I think it's time that I found myself a thorough textbook covering
all the ins and outs of writing Makefiles for GNU Make. I know that
the manual is there, but for a recent project I ended up following
a style described in a brief tutorial which I don't think I'd ever
have picked up from the descriptions in the manual (accurate as
they me be). For whatever reason, I think I need another reference,
with larger examples for one thing, in order to get a better grip
on Makefiles.

For most things this is where a good book comes in handy, but
there's a real drought of books for Make.

O'Reilly's "Managing Projects with GNU Make, 3rd Edition" looks the
most promising, and is freely downloadable, though I do prefer
printed books. I'm considering buying a second-hand copy, though
postage to Australia doubles the cost of them. It's also out of
date (2004).

O'Reilly's "Managing Projects with GNU Make, 2nd Edition" (1991)
appears to have been a completely different book from different
authors, and is much shorter than the third edition. Used copies
are much cheaper (cost and postage) though, so I'm tempted to buy
that to read properly and then skim the 3rd edition on the
computer. It's probably missing too much newer info though.

"The GNU Make Book" is recent enough, from 2015, but printed copies
are scarce and the reviews on Amazon are scathing, so I'll give
that a miss.

And that's it - seems like a lot fewer options than with
programming books. Am I missing some?
--

- The Free Thinker | gopher://aussies.space/1/%7efreet/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Linux NewsLink 1.113

On 2022-10-28, The Free Thinker <freet@aussies.space> wrote:

It's a shame that none of the programming groups here are about
compiled languages, so I'll just dump this here.

I think it's time that I found myself a thorough textbook covering
all the ins and outs of writing Makefiles for GNU Make. I know that
the manual is there, but for a recent project I ended up following
a style described in a brief tutorial which I don't think I'd ever
have picked up from the descriptions in the manual (accurate as
they me be). For whatever reason, I think I need another reference,
with larger examples for one thing, in order to get a better grip
on Makefiles.

For most things this is where a good book comes in handy, but
there's a real drought of books for Make.

O'Reilly's "Managing Projects with GNU Make, 3rd Edition" looks the
most promising, and is freely downloadable, though I do prefer
printed books. I'm considering buying a second-hand copy, though
postage to Australia doubles the cost of them. It's also out of
date (2004).

O'Reilly's "Managing Projects with GNU Make, 2nd Edition" (1991)
appears to have been a completely different book from different
authors, and is much shorter than the third edition. Used copies
are much cheaper (cost and postage) though, so I'm tempted to buy
that to read properly and then skim the 3rd edition on the
computer. It's probably missing too much newer info though.

"The GNU Make Book" is recent enough, from 2015, but printed copies
are scarce and the reviews on Amazon are scathing, so I'll give
that a miss.

And that's it - seems like a lot fewer options than with
programming books. Am I missing some?

How about simple makefiles?

git://bitreich.org/english_knight

It's a small pun on meson/ninja, but it teachs you
in the md file on how to set a minimal makefile.

It will work with both bsd make and GNU make.
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Linux NewsLink 1.113

I agree with *simple*; Makefiles can get quite opaque.

A suggestion from the GNU Make help mlist:

https://aegis.sourceforge.net/auug97.pdf

same guy's www: https://make.mad-scientist.net

Perhaps that No Starch Press "Autotools" book would be useful?

--- Synchronet 3.19a-Linux NewsLink 1.113

The Free Thinker <freet@aussies.space> wrote:

It's a shame that none of the programming groups here are about
compiled languages, so I'll just dump this here.

Here is a story on "How to convert good thing to bad one"
Originally "make" was very useful tool to help to create
correct "cc" command. Then makefile became so confusing that
another tool was presented - "How to create correct makefile"
Recently I saw one more program: "How to make config to the tool that
makes makefile to create correct cc command".
--
The dark side of Amitla: http://ma3hqhoccgsy5cwdtfpdorwgryarlgq63da2fy4xpgrouqmw2f77wkid.onion
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Linux NewsLink 1.113