Run the make command, which will follow the instructions in the Makefile to build the program, including running gcc with the proper options. Answer from Superb-Tea-3174 on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ
Makefile Tutorial
makefiletutorial.com
Makefile Tutorial by Example
All the examples work for Make versions 3 and 4, which are nearly equivalent other than some esoteric differences. To run these examples, you'll need a terminal and "make" installed. For each example, put the contents in a file called Makefile, and in that directory run the command make.
๐ŸŒ
The Linux Documentation Project
tldp.org โ€บ HOWTO โ€บ Software-Building-HOWTO-3.html
Building and Installing Software Packages for Linux: Using Make
An Imakefile is, to quote the man page, a "template" Makefile. The imake utility constructs a Makefile appropriate for your system from the Imakefile. In almost all cases, however, you would run xmkmf, a shell script that invokes imake, a front end for it. Check the README or INSTALL file included in the software archive for specific instructions.
Discussions

How do I use a makefile?
Run the make command, which will follow the instructions in the Makefile to build the program, including running gcc with the proper options. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/C_Programming
35
17
September 28, 2024
software installation - How do you install Make from source? - Unix & Linux Stack Exchange
I have tried Make version 4.2 and 4.3 on Ubuntu 18.x, RHEL 8.x, and SUSE 15.x servers. But I get the same problem. I cannot use binary packages (e.g, yum, apt, or zypper commands). I try to run More on unix.stackexchange.com
๐ŸŒ unix.stackexchange.com
April 16, 2020
makefile - How to install "make" in ubuntu? - Stack Overflow
I'm trying to install yum or apt-get into my system "ubuntu centOS". I did download the binary files for these two programs from the internet using the command wget. but after decompressi... More on stackoverflow.com
๐ŸŒ stackoverflow.com
How to use makefiles on Windows 10? Running into the same error message.
make is a Unix/Linux tool. There are versions of it available for Windows, but generally, the use of a Makefile is a good sign that a project targets Linux, not Windows. You can probably use something like MSYS2 to get a Unix-like environment for Windows (although you might have some trouble with pthread), or you could compile the program in WSL. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/learnprogramming
24
2
October 26, 2021
๐ŸŒ
LinuxVox
linuxvox.com โ€บ blog โ€บ install-make-linux
Installing `make` on Linux: A Comprehensive Guide โ€” linuxvox.com
The sudo apt update command updates the local package index, and sudo apt install make installs the make package. For Red Hat-based systems like CentOS, you can use the yum or dnf package manager.
๐ŸŒ
Dummies
dummies.com โ€บ article โ€บ technology โ€บ computers โ€บ operating-systems โ€บ linux โ€บ linux-how-to-run-make-150284
Linux: How to Run make | dummies
March 26, 2016 - If your makefile happens to have a different name from the default names, you have to use the -f option to specify the makefile. The syntax of the make command with this option is
๐ŸŒ
iO Flood
ioflood.com โ€บ blog โ€บ install-make-command-linux
Intro to 'make' Linux Command: Installation and Usage
April 26, 2024 - This is a basic way to install the โ€˜makeโ€™ command in Linux, but thereโ€™s much more to learn about installing and using โ€˜makeโ€™. Continue reading for more detailed information and advanced usage scenarios. ... The โ€˜makeโ€™ command is a build automation tool that automatically builds executable programs and libraries from source code by reading files called Makefiles which specify how to derive the target program.
๐ŸŒ
Linux Handbook
linuxhandbook.com โ€บ using-make
Using the Make Utility and Makefiles in Linux [Guide]
December 6, 2022 - To install make on Debian, Ubuntu, and their derivatives, use the apt package manager like so: ... Now that the make utility is installed, you can proceed to understand it with examples.
Find elsewhere
๐ŸŒ
LinuxQuestions.org
linuxquestions.org โ€บ questions โ€บ linux-newbie-8 โ€บ help-how-to-install-a-makefile-872181
Help! how to install a "makefile" ???
Hi, i'm new in linux! i'm using CentOS 5 i want to install VHCS -> vhcs.net it comes with a Makefile and Makefile.centos5 how do i install that???
๐ŸŒ
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ installation guide โ€บ how-to-install-make-on-ubuntu
How to install make on Ubuntu - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - The "make" program in Linux is used to compile and manage a set of source code applications and files. It allows developers to install and gather a range of apps via the terminal. It also controls and cuts down on the amount of time necessary for compilation. The basic objective of the make command is to break down a large program into smaller chunks and determine if it needs to be recompiled.
๐ŸŒ
PhoenixNAP
phoenixnap.com โ€บ home โ€บ kb โ€บ sysadmin โ€บ linux make command with examples
Linux make Command with Examples | phoenixNAP KB
December 9, 2025 - A text editor. Note: If make is not available on the system, use sudo apt install make to install it. The make command compiles different program pieces and builds a final executable.
๐ŸŒ
Opensource.com
opensource.com โ€บ article โ€บ 18 โ€บ 8 โ€บ what-how-makefile
What is a Makefile and how does it work? | Opensource.com
Create a empty directory myproject containing a file Makefile with this content: ... Now run the file by typing make inside the directory myproject. The output will be: ... In the example above, say_hello behaves like a function name, as in ...
๐ŸŒ
DEV Community
dev.to โ€บ skypy โ€บ linux-make-install-command-2dd6
Linux make install command - DEV Community
September 1, 2021 - ... Let's understand this with a simple example. install is a command that was written for software installation, but it can do more than that. make install will do whatever instruction is defined in makefile.
๐ŸŒ
Command Linux
commandlinux.com โ€บ home โ€บ how to โ€บ makefile on linux
Makefile On Linux
April 27, 2026 - A makefile tells the make utility how to compile and run programs. Instead of typing long commands every time you build your code, you write the instructions once and run a single command. Before starting, confirm that make is installed on your system.
๐ŸŒ
Thoughtbot
thoughtbot.com โ€บ blog โ€บ the-magic-behind-configure-make-make-install
The magic behind configure, make, and make install
August 5, 2024 - A guide on how UNIX ./configure && make && make install utility works and where it comes from.
๐ŸŒ
DataFlair
data-flair.training โ€บ blogs โ€บ makefile-in-linux
Makefile in linux - DataFlair
September 10, 2022 - By the end of this article, you will what linux makefile is, why it is used, look at the alternatives of makefile, version, and types of make, and only then go to the practical part. The fun part begins when we start looking at how to use a makefile. We will cover most of the ground as we discuss variables, conditional loops like if-else, functions like forereach function, call function, shell function and so many more coll topics. So letโ€™s start!!! Makefile is a command-line...
๐ŸŒ
Javatpoint
javatpoint.com โ€บ linux-make-command
Linux make command - javatpoint
May 5, 2020 - Linux make command with examples on files, directories, permission, backup, ls, man, pwd, cd, linux, linux introduction, chmod, man, shell, pipes, filters, regex, vi etc.
๐ŸŒ
GNU
gnu.org โ€บ software โ€บ make โ€บ manual โ€บ make.html
GNU Make Manual
The make program uses the makefile data base and the last-modification times of the files to decide which of the files need to be updated. For each of those files, it issues the recipes recorded in the data base. You can provide command line arguments to make to control which files should be ...