Re: how to create a single rule to build a directory as necessary

[Sam Steingold]

Hi,
I, too, am struggling with rebuilding a directory.
it appears that the rule:

gllib: config.status
        mkdir -p gllib; cd gllib; make

is wrong because the script "mkdir ..." is always executed, regardless of 
whether config.status has changed or not.
So, what is the right way to handle this?
thanks
Sam

Kristof Provost wrote:
> Making directories with GNU make has a couple of gotchas.
> See http://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/view/6936/120/ for the full
> explanation.

this link is dead.

> I think the main issue here is that the timestamp on a directory is
> updated whenever files are added/removed from it. That would lead to
> make performing unnecessary rebuilds.

what I observe is even worse: the second make in "make; make" always does do 
something!

> The entire 'Ask Mr. Make' series is worth reading if you're dealing with
> advanced make.
> See http://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/category/8/147/268/.

this link is dead too.