Description:

GNU Make controls the building of a program's source files into executable and other files. A Makefile is used to specify rules and dependencies for building and installing the program. This enables Make to automatically determine the appropriate order for updating files, and allows an end user to build and install a package without needing to know the build details.

Usage Notes:

The advantages offered by GNU Make over other Make versions include features enabling it to avoid unnecessary recompilation and to use intermediate files without needing to save them.

Developers writing Makefiles for GNU Make should consider following the GNU conventions for Makefiles, which can be located at: http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/Makefile-Conventions.html#Makefile-Conventions