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## What Name to Give Your Makefile

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. See section Using 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'`.

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