How to resolve GNU make producing a "circular main.c" error - c

Question

//makefile.conf
.SUFFIXES : .c .o
cc = gcc
CFLAG = -c
OFLAG = -o
O2FLAG = -O2
WPIFLAG = -lwringPi
RM = rm -rf
TARGET_SRCS = main.c
TARGET_OBJS = $(TARGET_SRCS:$.c=$.o)
TARGET_NAMES = $(TARGET_SRCS:$.c=$)
BINARY_NAME = LED_TEST
// makefile
include makefile.conf
$(TARGET_OBJS) : $(TARGET_SRCS)
$(CC) $(O2FLAG) $(CFLAG) $(OFLAG) $^
I'm trying to figure out how gnu make works and how to use it. Yet, I'm a beginner.
I'm trying to use make on my assignment (not mandatory, just my passion) for running simple code which lights up LED by using wiringpi.
Actually there's only one main.c and what I want to make is the makefile that runs
gcc -O2 -c -o main.o main.c
gcc -o main main.o -lwiringPi
Since my last code didn't worked, (constantly getting circular main.c <- main.c dependency dropped error)
I tried to make a code that only runs
gcc -O2 -c -o main.o main.c
but I still get circular main.c error and I don't know what that means.
I tried to look up gnu make manuals but I thought through that, it will take my life to understand.
So I'm trying to see the codes and make one with what I saw.
I think I understand the concept of makefile.conf but still don't understand the function of .SUFFIXES.
I understood it as noticing make that I'll make a rule with .c and .o, codes after that in makefile.conf defines the variables those will be used in makefile.
How can I correct the code? When actual 'assignment' took only five minute including adding comments.

Answer 1

First makefile:
main:
gcc -O2 -c -o main.o main.c
gcc -o main main.o -lwiringPi
When that works perfectly, second makefile:
main: main.o
gcc -o main main.o -lwiringPi
main.o: main.c
gcc -O2 -c -o main.o main.c
When that works perfectly, third makefile:
main: main.o
gcc -o $# $^ -lwiringPi
main.o: main.c
gcc -O2 -c -o $# $<
When that works perfectly, you will be ready for more advanced techniques.

Answer 2

If you are really new, it's often helpful to start off with simple makefiles till you need the extra features.
main: main.c
gcc -O2 -o main -lwiringPi main.c
Note the white space before the gcc is a single tab character.
Once you get the hang of that, you can then substitute various items to make your "make rules" easier to duplicate and maintain. For example, %^ means "every dependent source, so a rewrite of the rule would be
main: main.c
gcc -O2 -o main -lwiringPi $^
Occasionally, you might want to offer easy reconfiguration of the compiler, so if you had a dozen rules, and wanted to configure the compiler all in one place
CC=gcc
main: main.c
$(CC) -O2 -o main -lwiringPi $^
would expand the CC variable to the value gcc at make time. There's an upper limit to the utility of this expansion, for example, if something is "one of many of the same thing" You might not want to declare a variable for that individual item. For example, your WPIFLAG is likely always required, and probably not very successfully reconfigurable. Mabye a loader flags variable makes more sense.
LDFLAGS=-lwiringPi -lm -lwhatever
and a compiler flags variable
CFLAGS=-O2 -Werror -Wfatal-errors
Which would lead to the more sensible
main: main.c
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o main $(LDFLAGS) $^
Finally, you can replace the target main in this case, with another special variable. $# which means "the target being built"
main: main.c
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^
Note that for object files, you are listing all your objects as being dependent on all of your sources. If you want to support independent rules for object building, you need to do something different
main: main.o
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^
And you'll need rules for each object.
main.o: main.c
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^
but it will become a labor typing this rule for each object. To automate this rule, you will use a pattern based on the file suffixes, and a suffix rule.
.SUFFIXES : .o .c
.c.o :
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $<
Note the rule above relies on the default behavior of $(CC) which is to generate a something.o when something.c is compiled with the -c flag. If you wanted to make the output file explicit
.SUFFIXES : .o .c
.c.o :
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $# $<
This Suffix Rule acts as a macro. When someone needs thing.o, it will build it from thing.c if thing.c exists, even if there isn't an explicit rule for thing.c
With this, you can then collect all your object on the original main target. (We will remove CFLAGS, as no compiling will be happening, only linking)
main: main.o other.o first.o list.o end.o
$(CC) -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^
But some find listing the object to be a pain, and like to put them in a variable
main: $(OBJS)
$(CC) -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^
which means you will need to declare and set OBJS
OBJS = main.o other.o first.o list.o end.o
But it's sort of weird to track intermediate files, so why not track the actual sources
SOURCES = main.c other.c first.c list.c end.c
Ok, but how will we get the required OBJS from SOURCES? We will derefence SOURCES, modifying the suffixes to .o
OBJS = ${SOURCES:.c=.o}
The end result
SOURCES = main.c other.c first.c list.c end.c
OBJS = ${SOURCES:.c=.o}
CC=gcc
CFLAGS=-O2 -Werror -Wfatal-errors
LDFLAGS=-lwiringPi -lm -lwhatever
.SUFFIXES : .o .c
.c.o :
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $# $<
main: ${OBJS}
$(CC) -o $# $(LDFLAGS) $^