Re: setting a make "include" path right from the get-go

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Tue, 9 Dec 2008, Garrett Cooper wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 12:35 AM, Robert P. J. Day <address@hidden> wrote:
> > On Mon, 8 Dec 2008, Garrett Cooper wrote:
> >
> >> On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 5:49 AM, Robert P. J. Day <address@hidden> wrote:
> >> > On Sun, 7 Dec 2008, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>   i realize this is a trivial question but i just want to be
> >> >> absolutely sure i'm doing this the right way.
> >> >>
> >> >>   i have a sizable recursive make structure and i want to add
> >> >> "include"s in various makefiles to pull in useful "utility" makefiles
> >> >> in various places.
> >> >>
> >> >>   i know the proper way to do that is to use the "-I" option on the
> >> >> make invocation.  now, if my *top* level Makefile doesn't need to do
> >> >> any includes, i'm fairly sure i can set the include search path in
> >> >> that makefile, then use ${MAKE} from there on to make sure everyone
> >> >> below picks up the search path.
> >> >>
> >> >>   if the top-level makefile *does* need that include search path, my
> >> >> idea was to alias "make" to "make -I..." so that one doesn't need to
> >> >> keep typing that option explicitly.
> >> >>
> >> >>   is that about right?  or is there a more elegant way to do this?
> >> >> thanks.
> >> >
> >> >  i guess a simpler question (which i'm sure i know the answer to) is:
> >> > a Makefile that wants to use the "include" directive can *not* set its
> >> > own include search path -- only those of its sub-makes, correct?
> >> >
> >> > rday
> >>
> >> As I discovered last week, yes.
> >
> >  here's a clearer description of what i'm faced with.  i've been
> > handed a sizable multi-level recursive make-based software repository,
> > which takes advantage of including some useful utility makefiles
> > throughout.  however, all of those includes *hardcode* the address of
> > the utility makefile, as in
> >
> >  include ../../someutil.mak
> >
> >  i want to clean all that up and have make use an include-dir path
> > and be able to change all of the above to, of course, the simpler:
> >
> >  include someutil.mak
> >
> > the question is how to set the include-dir at the top level, and have
> > it percolate down through sub-make after sub-make.  many of the
> > existing makefiles perform further makes just by running "make" when,
> > at the very least, they should use ${MAKE}, but even that won't solve
> > the problem.
> >
> >  is there a simple solution to somehow setting the include-dir value
> > upon invocation and having it then apply throughout the recursive make
> > structure?  yes, i have the freedom to go in and hack any makefiles i
> > want.
> >
> > rday
>
> Yes, that's the easiest way given Make's current configuration.

  um ... *what* is the easiest way?  i'm still not sure how one sets
the include-dir to get it to propagate throughout the rest of the
build structure.  if that's even possible, that is.

rday
--

========================================================================
Robert P. J. Day
Linux Consulting, Training and Annoying Kernel Pedantry:
    Have classroom, will lecture.

http://crashcourse.ca                          Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
========================================================================