Re: problem with updating a static library using make/makefiles

[Noel Yap]

I only browsed through your email so please excuse me if I'm way off.  I think 
the problem and solution you're encountering is described in 
http://aegis.sourceforge.net/auug97.pdf.

HTH,
Noel

Thomas Lavergne wrote:
> 
> Hi all;
> I am not an expert with GNU make and makefiles. However, after oneday of
> documenting and testing, I still cannot see what is wrong with my case.
> I want to build a static library libfray.a (using GNU ar 2.13.90) which
> is  just an archive of .o files. These 80 .o files are located in
> various subdirectories. So, at libfray.a_level I have a Makefile which
> basically list my subdirectories, cd to each of them and execute MAKE:
> 
> Makefile at libfray.a level :
> --------------------------
> MAKE = make -$(MAKEFLAGS)
> STUFF = libsource libintera libfilter libcommon libmeasure libobj libdistr
> SHELL = /bin/sh
> 
> default:
>     for i in $(STUFF); do \
>         (cd $$i && $(MAKE)); \
>         (/usr/bin/ranlib libfray.a);\
>     done
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Then, on each subdirectory (stuff) I have a similar make file:
> --------------------------------
> LIB = ../libfray.a
> INCLUDE = -I.. -I../..
> CFLAGS = $(CCFLAGS) $(INCLUDE) $(OPTIMIZE)
> ARFLAGS=qv
> 
> SHELL = /bin/sh
> 
> CFILES = filter.c hit.c howend.c interange.c range.c
> OFILES = $(CFILES:.c=.o)
> 
> $(LIB): $(OFILES)
>     ar $(ARFLAGS) $(LIB) $(OFILES)
> --------------------------------------------
> 
> The rule $(LIB) seems to be the default rule for make (there is a make
> depend annd make clean but they are at the bottom of the Makefile)
> 
> NOW, when I execute the make command (GNU make 3.79.1 built for Linux
> Red Hat 9) from libfray.a level, all my subdirectories are effectively
> browsed and I can see all the 80 .o files created. BUT for a reason I
> ignore, the ar command is not always called to update the ../libfray
> target. The situation is not at all stable : if I 'make clean' to erase
> all .o and the libfray.a (i checked it is done) and I rebuild my library
> ('make' at libfray.a level), it will be another subdirectory which will
> not be included.. If I modify the order of STUFF to browse my
> subdirectories, another subdirectory will not be included.
> 
> I tried a 'make -d' from the libfray.a level. The implicit rules for
> compiling .c into .o are working fine but I will list what happens for
> the not-included-in-the-static-library directory:
> 
> Finished prerequisites of target file `../libfray.a'.
>  Prerequisite `filter.o' is newer than target `../libfray.a'.
>  Prerequisite `hit.o' is newer than target `../libfray.a'.
>  Prerequisite `howend.o' is newer than target `../libfray.a'.
>  Prerequisite `interange.o' is newer than target `../libfray.a'.
>  Prerequisite `range.o' is newer than target `../libfray.a'.
> No need to remake target `../libfray.a'.
> 
> How is it possible that prerequisites newer than target do not imply the
> remake of the target??
> If it is possible, then please indicate me what are the possible
> situations so that I can check everything.
> 
> Thanks for any help,
> thomas
> 
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