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12.1 Build system overview

Build system is currently GNU make, with an extra "stepmake" layer on top. Look at files in ‘make/’ and ‘stepmake/’ and all ‘GNUmakefile’s.

There is wide-spread dissatisfaction with this system, and we are considering changing. This would be a huge undertaking (estimated 200+ hours). This change will probably involve not using GNU make any more – but a discussion about the precise build system will have to wait. Before we reach that point, we need to figure out (at least approximately) what the current build system does.

Fundamentally, a build system does two things:

1. Constructs command-line commands, for example:

   lilypond-book \
     --tons --of --options \
     pitches.itely
   texi2pdf \
     --more --imperial --and --metric --tons --of --options \
     pitches.texi
   

2. If there was a previous build, it decides which parts of the system need to be rebuilt.

When I try to do anything in the build system, it helps to remind myself of this. The "end result" is just a series of command-line commands. All the black magick is just an attempt to construct those commands.

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