GNU Make

Software Overview

GNU Make is a utility used to build executable programs and libraries from source code. It was originally created by Stuart Feldman in 1976 at Bell Labs.

Make is programmed to use a makefile to build and install a package. The utility automatically updates files when one or more source files change and determines the order to update the files in the event that a non-source file depends on another non-source file. The program is not limited to only building programs even though that is its most common use. It can also be used to manage projects that feature files that need to be automatically updated when other files change.

GNU Make was originally created back in the 1970s but is still used today. One of the main reasons for its longevity is that it provides convenient features for building programs and libraries from source code. Although there are other IDEs available for managing build processes, GNU Make remains a free and helpful utility in the Unix world for building executables from a program's source files.

Primary File Type

.GNUMAKEFILEGNU Makefile

Supported File Types