Comprehensive gnu make / gcc tutorial [closed]

Answer 1

Check the book Managing Projects with GNU Make.
The entire text of this book is available online. Part I of this book covers the basic concepts, which I think would help you get comfortable with GNU Make.

Answer 2

As you are just learning, you might want to focus solely on the C/C++ language. An IDE really helps these days -- in that regard. Netbeans works very well as an IDE that gets your typing C/C++ ASAP. It compiles quite sensibly as well. Another good IDE (believe it or not) is Visual Studio -- it's point and click style of setting up a build environment is quite granular.

After your needs diversify I would suggest the following :

I've learned make and gcc a few times, and there is just too much their too remember -- i.e., once you have a build environment going you are likely to forget the intricacies. So as a piece of advice I would suggest not learning them. Instead pick one of the good tools out there that abstract make and autotools away (the way an IDE like Netbeans does). You might want to "learn" one of those tools instead. Learning how to use make and auto tools is quite a time-sink.

One such tool is cmake.

Answer 3

This doesn't directly answer your question, but anyway ...

Firstly, make and gcc are two completely different packages - you are unlikely to find a good tutorial that covers both satisfactorily.

Secondly, the GNU make manual & tutorial is one of the best I've ever come across. make is a complex beast - you need the in-depth stuff, particularly if you intend to read or use other people's makefiles.

Regarding gcc, I suppose the obvious question is "what do you want to know". Like make, gcc is an extremely complex piece of kit.