========================================= Bug Description ========================================= The bug is that I set the variable 'RM' equal to the value 'post', but it has no effect on make. As I read section 10.3, "Variables Used by Implicit Rules", if I set RM to 'post', then when implicit rules are invoked by make, the command used should be 'post', not 'rm'. By the way, the documentation says 'rm -f' is the default, but 'rm' is being called. _____________________________________________ ========================================= The makefile ========================================= I am including a simple makefile, which illustrates my problem. After downloading the attached files into the same directory: 1) chmod +x post 2) make In words, the makefile: sets RM = post 1) creates a .yyy file that will be used to create .zzz file 2) creates a .zzz file 3) gives notice that Z.yyy is available for future processing. *** step 4 is a bug *** This is default behavior of make and not part of my makefile 4) - make removes Z.yyy and it is no longer available. _____________________________________________ NOTE: I have an intermediate file (i.e. the file with suffix .yyy) which I would like to keep for later processing. But because it is an intermediate file, make is running 'rm Z.yyy' as part of the make process, with the assumption the an intermediate file is no longer needed. ========================================= VERSIONS ========================================= ------------------------------------- O/S - BunsenLabs Linux ------------------------------------- % uname -a Linux roe 3.16.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.16.51-2 (2017-12-03) x86_64 GNU/Linux ------------------------------------- make ------------------------------------- % make --version GNU Make 4.0 Built for x86_64-pc-linux-gnu Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. ------------------------------------- documentation ------------------------------------- The documentation I'm using is the PDF version of: "This is Edition 0.74, last updated 21 May 2016, of The GNU Make Manual , for GNU make version 4.2."