Initial Release of `make`
Stuart Feldman publicly released the `make` utility as part of PWB/UNIX, introducing a dependency-driven approach to automating software compilation. It read "Makefiles" to determine which files needed recompilation based on timestamp changes.
Significance
`make` became the de facto standard for building software in the UNIX world, dramatically improving reproducibility, efficiency, and reducing build errors for complex projects. It laid the foundation for all subsequent build automation tools.
Key facts
- Date
- 1977-04-01
- Type
- invention
- Location
- Bell Labs, Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA