Pre-build step in makefile

Question

How can I run a script, which must execute before all other makefile commands? And it will be nice (but not mandatory) to the script is not executed if there is nothing to build

Answer 1

What you are proposing seems a bit "un-make-like". Why not just run the command in whatever makefile target you need it to go before?

Example, if you need it to run before linking foo:

foo: ${OBJS}
    my-command-goes-here
    ${CC} -o $@ ${OBJS} ${LIBS}