File: make.info,  Node: Makefile Names,  Next: Include,  Prev: Makefile Contents,  Up: Makefiles

3.2 What Name to Give Your Makefile
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By default, when 'make' looks for the makefile, it tries the following
names, in order: 'GNUmakefile', 'makefile' and 'Makefile'.

   Normally you should call your makefile either 'makefile' or
'Makefile'.  (We recommend 'Makefile' because it appears prominently
near the beginning of a directory listing, right near other important
files such as 'README'.)  The first name checked, 'GNUmakefile', is not
recommended for most makefiles.  You should use this name if you have a
makefile that is specific to GNU 'make', and will not be understood by
other versions of 'make'.  Other 'make' programs look for 'makefile' and
'Makefile', but not 'GNUmakefile'.

   If 'make' finds none of these names, it does not use any makefile.
Then you must specify a goal with a command argument, and 'make' will
attempt to figure out how to remake it using only its built-in implicit
rules.  *Note Using Implicit Rules: Implicit Rules.

   If you want to use a nonstandard name for your makefile, you can
specify the makefile name with the '-f' or '--file' option.  The
arguments '-f NAME' or '--file=NAME' tell 'make' to read the file NAME
as the makefile.  If you use more than one '-f' or '--file' option, you
can specify several makefiles.  All the makefiles are effectively
concatenated in the order specified.  The default makefile names
'GNUmakefile', 'makefile' and 'Makefile' are not checked automatically
if you specify '-f' or '--file'.