[Solved] makefile:4: *** missing separator. Stop – Makefile

The Solutions:

Solution 1: Tabs are required to start each recipe

Make defines a tab is required to start each recipe. All actions of every rule are identified by tabs. If you prefer to prefix your recipes with a character other than a tab, you can set the .RECIPEPREFIX variable to an alternate character.

To check, use the cat -e -t -v makefile_name command.

It shows the presence of tabs with ^I and line endings with $. Both are vital to ensure that dependencies end properly and tabs mark the action for the rules so that they are easily identifiable to the make utility.

Example:

Kaizen ~/so_test $ cat -e -t -v  mk.t
all:ll$      ## here the $ is end of line ...                   
$
ll:ll.c   $
^Igcc  -c  -Wall -Werror -02 c.c ll.c  -o  ll  $@  $<$ 
## the ^I above means a tab was there before the action part, so this line is ok .
 $
clean :$
   \rm -fr ll$
## see here there is no ^I which means , tab is not present .... 
## in this case you need to open the file again and edit/ensure a tab 
## starts the action part

Solution 2: Correcting Make Target Separator

The error "missing separator" occurs when the makefile lacks a colon (:) separator between the target and its dependency. In this case, the target "ll" in line 2 and the dependency "ll.c" in line 3 are not separated by a colon.

To fix this, add a colon after the target name "ll" in line 2. The corrected makefile should look like this:

all: ll

ll: ll.c
    gcc -c -Wall -Werror -02 c.c ll.c -o ll $@ $<

clean:
    \rm -fr ll

Solution 3: Fixing Make Error “Missing Separator”

In a makefile, each line must have a command preceded by a tab character, not a whitespace. This is the proper syntax for a makefile rule.

In the provided makefile, line 4 contains a command that does not have a tab character before it. This error can be fixed by inserting a tab before the command:

ll: ll.c
    cc -c -Wall -Werror -O2 ll.c -o ll $@ $<

Additionally, on the same line, there is a typographical error. The command should be rm -fr ll instead of \rm -fr ll, and it should also be preceded by a tab. The corrected line becomes:

clean:
    rm -fr ll

With these corrections, the makefile will work properly.

Solution 4: Correct Makefile Syntax

To fix the error "missing separator," ensure that your Makefile follows the correct syntax. In a Makefile:

• Lines of Make code should be indented with spaces only.
• Lines of Bash/shell code should be indented with tabs only.

In your Makefile, the error is likely due to inconsistent indentation:

ll:ll.c   
      gcc  -c  -Wall -Werror -02 c.c ll.c  -o  ll  $@  $<

Here, the line with the gcc command is indented with a mix of spaces and tabs, which is not allowed.

To fix it, indent the line consistently with either spaces or tabs:

ll: ll.c
    gcc -c -Wall -Werror -02 c.c ll.c -o ll $@ $<

Or:

ll: ll.c
\tgcc -c -Wall -Werror -02 c.c ll.c -o ll $@ $<

Solution 5: Install Makefile Support Plugin for PyCharm

To resolve the error, install the Makefile Support Plugin in PyCharm:

Steps:

1. Open Preferences (Cmd + , for macOS, Ctrl + , for Windows/Linux).
2. Navigate to Plugins -> Marketplace.
3. Search for Makefile Support, install it, and restart PyCharm.

This plugin provides syntax highlighting and improved support for Makefiles, resolving the "missing separator" error.