What is the difference between gmake and make?

build makefile gnu-make
Nick Haddad picture Nick Haddad · Jul 28, 2009 · Viewed 75.1k times · Source

I am trying to understand the difference between 'gmake' and 'make'?

On my linux box they are identical:

% gmake --version
GNU Make 3.81
Copyright (C) 2006  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

% make --version
GNU Make 3.81
Copyright (C) 2006  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

I am guessing this isn't the same on all platforms? Is there a good reason to use one over the other?
Is there some historical significance to why there are the two names?

Answer

bdonlan picture bdonlan · Jul 28, 2009

'gmake' refers specifically to GNU make. 'make' refers to the system's default make implementation; on most Linux distros this is GNU make, but on other unixes, it could refer to some other implementation of make, such as BSD make, or the make implementations of various commercial unixes.

The language accepted by GNU make is a superset of the one supported by the traditional make utility.

By using 'gmake' specifically you can use GNU make extensions without worrying about them being misinterpreted by some other make implementation.

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