c - Makefile can I execute a configuration only once?

Question

Im trying to create a Makefile which compiles some files and creates some outputs but first I want it to execute the configuration only one time and the next time I type make it wont re-execute the configuration unless I change the parameters for example the prefix.

I tried using touch , FORCE and if, after searching a bit in other posts but Im newbie in gcc and Makefiles so I cant make it work.

My code now is (did not include the other rules because they dont affect the configuration):

XLEN := 32
RISCV_PREFIX := riscv$(XLEN)-unknown-elf-
RISCV_GCC := $(RISCV_PREFIX)gcc
CFLAGS := -O2
WORKING_DIR:= $(shell pwd)
LIBRARY_DIR:= $(abspath $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))/..)
B := $(shell echo $(LIBRARY_DIR))
$(info $(B))

--->(execute this only once)---> CONFIGURATION := configure --prefix=$(LIBRARY_DIR) --with-arch=rv32if --with-abi=ilp32d

RISCV_TEST_DIR:=$(shell pwd)
SCRIPTDIR:=$(RISCV_TEST_DIR)/../../tools

RISCV_OPTIONS = -o  
RISCV_LINK = $(RISCV_GCC) $(PROGRAMS) $(RISCV_OPTIONS) $@ $(CFLAGS) #produces .elf file!
RISCV_OBJDUMP = $(RISCV_PREFIX)objdump -D                           #produces a dump file to see the assembly code!
RISCV_OBJCOPY = $(RISCV_PREFIX)objcopy -O binary                    #produces a bin file!

%.elf: %.c
    $(info Generating .elf file from files: $(PROGRAMS_NO_EX))
    $(RISCV_LINK)
    $(info Success!)
    $(info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
%.dump: %.elf
    $(info Copying assembly to dump file $(PROGRAMS_NO_EX).dump)
    @$(RISCV_OBJDUMP) $< > $@
    $(info Success!)
    $(info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
%.bin: %.elf
    $(info Generating bin file)
    @$(RISCV_OBJCOPY) $< $@
    $(info Success!)
    $(info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
%.hex: %.bin 
    $(info Generating hex file)
    echo cd $(SCRIPTDIR)
    $(info Running binary to hex >>>)
    python $(SCRIPTDIR)/bin2hex.py $< -a 0x0 > $@ || exit -1
    $(info Hex Generation Successful!)
    $(info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

all: $(PROGRAMS_TO_CREATE); if [ -a $(LIBRARY_DIR)/config.status ]; then cd $(LIBRARY_DIR) && $(CONFIGURATION); fi;

configure: config.status
    touch configure

config.status:
    cd $(LIBRARY_DIR) && $(CONFIGURATION);

.PHONY: all clean
clean:
    $(info Cleaning files...)
    @rm -rf *.elf *.hex *.map *.objdump *.i *.s *.bin *.dump
    $(info Done cleaning!)

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

I believe the only problem with your configuration statements are incorrect paths in rules for config.status and configure, since they really will be located within $(LIBRARY_DIR). When the paths are correct, it will correctly run configuration only once:

$ cat Makefile
LIBRARY_DIR := library

all: $(LIBRARY_DIR)/config.status
        $(info Making $@)

$(LIBRARY_DIR)/config.status: $(LIBRARY_DIR)/configure
        cd $(<D) && ./$(<F)

Output:

$ make
cd library && ./configure
Making all

$ make            # <--- Invoking second time, no configure step
Making all
make: 'all' is up to date.