How to get exit status of a shell command used in GNU Makefile?

Question

I have a makefile rule in while I am executing a linux tool. I need to check the exit status of the tool command, and if that command fails the make has to be aborted.

Answer 1

In the makefile-:

mycommand || (echo "mycommand failed $$?"; exit 1)

Each line in the makefile action invokes a new shell - the error must be checked in the action line where the command failed.

If mycommand fails the logic branches to the echo statement then exits.