Check if a program exists from a Makefile

Question

How can I check if a program is callable from a Makefile?

(That is, the program should exist in the path or otherwise be callable.)

It could be used to chec

Answer 1

You can use bash built commands such as type foo or command -v foo, as below:

SHELL := /bin/bash
all: check

check:
        @type foo

Where foo is your program/command. Redirect to > /dev/null if you want it silent.