C Makefile - missing seperator. stop

Question

This is my Makefile, I get an error "***missing seperator. stop" I am trying to compile a library but for some reason I get this error message. Other SO questions that are similar suggest that it is a tabbing issue, but i could not solve it.

CC=g++
RANLIB=ranlib

LIBSRC=osm.c 
LIBOBJ=$(LIBSRC:.c=.o)

INCS=-I.
CFLAGS = -Wall -g $(INCS)
LOADLIBES = -L./ 

OSMLIB = libosm.a
TARGETS = $(OSMLIB)

TAR=tar
TARFLAGS=-cvf
TARNAME=ex1.tar
TARSRCS=$(LIBSRC) Makefile README

all: $(TARGETS) 

$(TARGETS): $(LIBOBJ)
$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^ //this line fails with the warning
$(RANLIB) $@

clean:
$(RM) $(TARGETS) $(OSMLIB) $(OBJ) $(LIBOBJ) *~ *core

depend:
makedepend -- $(CFLAGS) -- $(SRC) $(LIBSRC)

tar:
$(TAR) $(TARFLAGS) $(TARNAME) $(TARSRCS)

Tabs are mandatory at the start of the command line – StoryTeller - Unslander Monica Mar 16 '17 at 10:25 — StoryTeller - Unslander Monica, Mar 16 '17 at 10:25
Which lines here require tabs? – Sharonica Mar 16 '17 at 10:25 — Sharonica, Mar 16 '17 at 10:25

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 16 '17 at 10:27

8

Makefile requires that all "commands" in a rule are indented by one tab.

You have, for example, this rule:

clean:
$(RM) $(TARGETS) $(OSMLIB) $(OBJ) $(LIBOBJ) *~ *core

That is wrong, the command-line should be intended with an actual tab (not spaces) like

clean:
    $(RM) $(TARGETS) $(OSMLIB) $(OBJ) $(LIBOBJ) *~ *core

answered Mar 16 '17 at 10:27

Some programmer dude

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Thanks, why do I get the error in the specific line that I commented in the Makefile? – Sharonica Mar 16 '17 at 10:28
@Sharonica Because it is the *first* with the error. If you fix it, but not the others, then you will get an error on the next, and so on. – Some programmer dude Mar 16 '17 at 10:31
Apparently the problem was CLion's indentations as spaces. This should really be dealt with already. – Sharonica Mar 16 '17 at 10:33
Thank you a lot! – Gidy Dec 20 '18 at 11:20

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 16 '17 at 10:29

CC=g++
RANLIB=ranlib

LIBSRC=osm.c 
LIBOBJ=$(LIBSRC:.c=.o)

INCS=-I.
CFLAGS = -Wall -g $(INCS)
LOADLIBES = -L./ 

OSMLIB = libosm.a
TARGETS = $(OSMLIB)

TAR=tar
TARFLAGS=-cvf
TARNAME=ex1.tar
TARSRCS=$(LIBSRC) Makefile README

all: $(TARGETS) 

$(TARGETS): $(LIBOBJ)
     $(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^ //this line fails with the warning
     $(RANLIB) $@

clean:
     $(RM) $(TARGETS) $(OSMLIB) $(OBJ) $(LIBOBJ) *~ *core

depend:
     makedepend -- $(CFLAGS) -- $(SRC) $(LIBSRC)

tar:
     $(TAR) $(TARFLAGS) $(TARNAME) $(TARSRCS)

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 16 '17 at 10:27

0

make files have a specific structure and syntax. Generally:

<target> : <dependencies>
<tab><instructions>

The tab at the start of the line is part of the syntax.

answered Mar 16 '17 at 10:27

StoryTeller - Unslander Monica

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C Makefile - missing seperator. stop

3 Answers3