(make.info.gz) Options Summary

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 9.7 Summary of Options
 ======================
 
 Here is a table of all the options `make' understands:
 
 `-b'
 `-m'
      These options are ignored for compatibility with other versions of
      `make'.
 
 `-B'
 `--always-make'
      Consider all targets out-of-date.  GNU `make' proceeds to consider
      targets and their prerequisites using the normal algorithms;
      however, all targets so considered are always remade regardless of
      the status of their prerequisites.  To avoid infinite recursion, if
      `MAKE_RESTARTS' ( Other Special Variables Special
      Variables.) is set to a number greater than 0 this option is
      disabled when considering whether to remake makefiles ( How
      Makefiles Are Remade Remaking Makefiles.).
 
 `-C DIR'
 `--directory=DIR'
      Change to directory DIR before reading the makefiles.  If multiple
      `-C' options are specified, each is interpreted relative to the
      previous one: `-C / -C etc' is equivalent to `-C /etc'.  This is
      typically used with recursive invocations of `make' (
      Recursive Use of `make' Recursion.).
 
 `-d'
      Print debugging information in addition to normal processing.  The
      debugging information says which files are being considered for
      remaking, which file-times are being compared and with what
      results, which files actually need to be remade, which implicit
      rules are considered and which are applied--everything interesting
      about how `make' decides what to do.  The `-d' option is
      equivalent to `--debug=a' (see below).
 
 `--debug[=OPTIONS]'
      Print debugging information in addition to normal processing.
      Various levels and types of output can be chosen.  With no
      arguments, print the "basic" level of debugging.  Possible
      arguments are below; only the first character is considered, and
      values must be comma- or space-separated.
 
     `a (all)'
           All types of debugging output are enabled.  This is
           equivalent to using `-d'.
 
     `b (basic)'
           Basic debugging prints each target that was found to be
           out-of-date, and whether the build was successful or not.
 
     `v (verbose)'
           A level above `basic'; includes messages about which
           makefiles were parsed, prerequisites that did not need to be
           rebuilt, etc.  This option also enables `basic' messages.
 
     `i (implicit)'
           Prints messages describing the implicit rule searches for
           each target.  This option also enables `basic' messages.
 
     `j (jobs)'
           Prints messages giving details on the invocation of specific
           subcommands.
 
     `m (makefile)'
           By default, the above messages are not enabled while trying
           to remake the makefiles.  This option enables messages while
           rebuilding makefiles, too.  Note that the `all' option does
           enable this option.  This option also enables `basic'
           messages.
 
 `-e'
 `--environment-overrides'
      Give variables taken from the environment precedence over
      variables from makefiles.   Variables from the Environment
      Environment.
 
 `-f FILE'
 `--file=FILE'
 `--makefile=FILE'
      Read the file named FILE as a makefile.   Writing Makefiles
      Makefiles.
 
 `-h'
 `--help'
      Remind you of the options that `make' understands and then exit.
 
 `-i'
 `--ignore-errors'
      Ignore all errors in commands executed to remake files.  
      Errors in Commands Errors.
 
 `-I DIR'
 `--include-dir=DIR'
      Specifies a directory DIR to search for included makefiles.  
      Including Other Makefiles Include.  If several `-I' options are
      used to specify several directories, the directories are searched
      in the order specified.
 
 `-j [JOBS]'
 `--jobs[=JOBS]'
      Specifies the number of jobs (commands) to run simultaneously.
      With no argument, `make' runs as many jobs simultaneously as
      possible.  If there is more than one `-j' option, the last one is
      effective.   Parallel Execution Parallel, for more
      information on how commands are run.  Note that this option is
      ignored on MS-DOS.
 
 `-k'
 `--keep-going'
      Continue as much as possible after an error.  While the target that
      failed, and those that depend on it, cannot be remade, the other
      prerequisites of these targets can be processed all the same.
       Testing the Compilation of a Program Testing.
 
 `-l [LOAD]'
 `--load-average[=LOAD]'
 `--max-load[=LOAD]'
      Specifies that no new jobs (commands) should be started if there
      are other jobs running and the load average is at least LOAD (a
      floating-point number).  With no argument, removes a previous load
      limit.   Parallel Execution Parallel.
 
 `-L'
 `--check-symlink-times'
      On systems that support symbolic links, this option causes `make'
      to consider the timestamps on any symbolic links in addition to the
      timestamp on the file referenced by those links.  When this option
      is provided, the most recent timestamp among the file and the
      symbolic links is taken as the modification time for this target
      file.
 
 `-n'
 `--just-print'
 `--dry-run'
 `--recon'
      Print the commands that would be executed, but do not execute them.
       Instead of Executing the Commands Instead of Execution.
 
 `-o FILE'
 `--old-file=FILE'
 `--assume-old=FILE'
      Do not remake the file FILE even if it is older than its
      prerequisites, and do not remake anything on account of changes in
      FILE.  Essentially the file is treated as very old and its rules
      are ignored.   Avoiding Recompilation of Some Files Avoiding
      Compilation.
 
 `-p'
 `--print-data-base'
      Print the data base (rules and variable values) that results from
      reading the makefiles; then execute as usual or as otherwise
      specified.  This also prints the version information given by the
      `-v' switch (see below).  To print the data base without trying to
      remake any files, use `make -qp'.  To print the data base of
      predefined rules and variables, use `make -p -f /dev/null'.  The
      data base output contains filename and linenumber information for
      command and variable definitions, so it can be a useful debugging
      tool in complex environments.
 
 `-q'
 `--question'
      "Question mode".  Do not run any commands, or print anything; just
      return an exit status that is zero if the specified targets are
      already up to date, one if any remaking is required, or two if an
      error is encountered.   Instead of Executing the Commands
      Instead of Execution.
 
 `-r'
 `--no-builtin-rules'
      Eliminate use of the built-in implicit rules ( Using Implicit
      Rules Implicit Rules.).  You can still define your own by writing
      pattern rules ( Defining and Redefining Pattern Rules
      Pattern Rules.).  The `-r' option also clears out the default list
      of suffixes for suffix rules ( Old-Fashioned Suffix Rules
      Suffix Rules.).  But you can still define your own suffixes with a
      rule for `.SUFFIXES', and then define your own suffix rules.  Note
      that only _rules_ are affected by the `-r' option; default
      variables remain in effect ( Variables Used by Implicit
      Rules Implicit Variables.); see the `-R' option below.
 
 `-R'
 `--no-builtin-variables'
      Eliminate use of the built-in rule-specific variables (
      Variables Used by Implicit Rules Implicit Variables.).  You can
      still define your own, of course.  The `-R' option also
      automatically enables the `-r' option (see above), since it
      doesn't make sense to have implicit rules without any definitions
      for the variables that they use.
 
 `-s'
 `--silent'
 `--quiet'
      Silent operation; do not print the commands as they are executed.
       Command Echoing Echoing.
 
 `-S'
 `--no-keep-going'
 `--stop'
      Cancel the effect of the `-k' option.  This is never necessary
      except in a recursive `make' where `-k' might be inherited from
      the top-level `make' via `MAKEFLAGS' ( Recursive Use of
      `make' Recursion.)  or if you set `-k' in `MAKEFLAGS' in your
      environment.
 
 `-t'
 `--touch'
      Touch files (mark them up to date without really changing them)
      instead of running their commands.  This is used to pretend that
      the commands were done, in order to fool future invocations of
      `make'.   Instead of Executing the Commands Instead of
      Execution.
 
 `-v'
 `--version'
      Print the version of the `make' program plus a copyright, a list
      of authors, and a notice that there is no warranty; then exit.
 
 `-w'
 `--print-directory'
      Print a message containing the working directory both before and
      after executing the makefile.  This may be useful for tracking
      down errors from complicated nests of recursive `make' commands.
       Recursive Use of `make' Recursion.  (In practice, you
      rarely need to specify this option since `make' does it for you;
      see  The `--print-directory' Option -w Option.)
 
 `--no-print-directory'
      Disable printing of the working directory under `-w'.  This option
      is useful when `-w' is turned on automatically, but you do not
      want to see the extra messages.   The `--print-directory'
      Option -w Option.
 
 `-W FILE'
 `--what-if=FILE'
 `--new-file=FILE'
 `--assume-new=FILE'
      Pretend that the target FILE has just been modified.  When used
      with the `-n' flag, this shows you what would happen if you were
      to modify that file.  Without `-n', it is almost the same as
      running a `touch' command on the given file before running `make',
      except that the modification time is changed only in the
      imagination of `make'.   Instead of Executing the Commands
      Instead of Execution.
 
 `--warn-undefined-variables'
      Issue a warning message whenever `make' sees a reference to an
      undefined variable.  This can be helpful when you are trying to
      debug makefiles which use variables in complex ways.
 

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