Require GNU make?

[Joel Brobecker]

> Not really.  It just means that before building binutils, you need
> to build GNU make.  That is, in effect, push the build system
> portability problem to a single and logical entry point, rather
> than have all GNU programs (that use make) need to care.  GNU
> only needs to invent the wheel once.
[...]
> GNU make even builds with Microsoft's compilers.  At least,
> there's README.W32.template in the sources saying that's supported,
> and I see "make_msvc_net2003.sln" and "make_msvc_net2003.vcproj" files.
[...]
> Nowadays you're more likely to start by cross compiling, but in any case,
> that is really a false problem.  That someone would just have to
> port/build GNU make first with the proprietary compiler, _then_
> port binutils, then gcc, etc.

+1.

I am particularly sensitive to the argument that GNU projects
at large shouldn't have to suffer because we can't ask developers
(or build systems such as the *BSDs) to build GNU Make first and
use that instead.

-- 
Joel