`make install` re-compiles binary

[robert7]

`make install` re-compiles binary

[HaleTom]

Actually make also recompiles the binary.

I've never done it myself, but I believe the work-around is to touch a file when the build completes and have that file as a make dependency.

[robert7]

The first line in your quote is not a "compile step", but its is a "link step" (or "assembly of the binary").

But its true, that for some reason the "link step" is executed twice. I did not notice before.

Total build time with "clean" on my machine is 3 minutes.
Just the "2x link" on my machine takes 7 seconds, so eliminating the one duplicate link step would save ~3.5 seconds, which is about 2% of the build time.

So I don't think its critical, but I agree that doing the "link" twice is stupid and I will try to find out why this happens. Thx for reporting.

[robert7]

I marked it as "enhancement" as it is only ~2% of the build time and only affects the users, which want to compile themselves.

[HaleTom]

Awesome :) You've got a nice fast box, I envy you :-P

[robert7]

There is a lot of difference when are you using parallel processing: make vs. e.g. make -j8. Try the "-j" param, maybe it will be also faster on your box.

[HaleTom]

Nice one. I'm running with make -j $(nproc)

[robert7]

The solution to prevent calling "link" twice is just run "make install" not "make && make install".
So I fixed that in my build script and in the travis build script.
Thx for pointing that out.

So I close this. If you still have the problem - then pls comment here.

[hosiet]

Frankly speaking that is weird -- a plain call of make should only build binaries and a call of "make install" should not try to build again if it has been built -- I'd say the problem is not solved but only circumvented in a dirty way.

[HaleTom]

I believe this is what we're after:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23371141/why-does-gnu-make-always-re-link-my-project

[robert7]

@hosiet:
😄 "dirty" is nickname of this project ...

The truth is, that with the time I have available for this project, if I would try to do it the "correct way" and first try to learn all the technologies needed, then I wouldn't even start coding... It touched "Makefiles" last time like 15 years ago and also that was briefly.

But you are right and you challenged me, so I looked it up and fixed the wrong dependency in the project. Now it works correctly. "make" creates the binaries, "make install" does the install and will not call link again.

(Its not that, I like the project being "dirty"... I try to improve, but... I try to be pragmatic and make it work, with what I have available).

[robert7]

.. so here is the latest Travis build log: https://api.travis-ci.com/v3/job/151309461/log.txt
it did "make && make install" and the "link" was executed once

[HaleTom]

The balance between doing it "correctly" and actually doing it is a a tough one. I probably err on the pedantic side and get less done as a result.

Brilliant - thank you :)