I like Makefiles too :) I use them more or less as a command runner, not often to build new targets based on sources (sometimes still).

In particular, I like:

* The ubiquity: it's easily available almost everywhere I touch and if not, it's usually a package install away. * The auto completion: I often define variables with default values at the top, but they can be both easily discoverable and their values can be changed just by typing `make VAR<tab>=foobar ...` * Chaining commands: make targets can be chained with `make target1 target2 target3 ...`. They will execute in the order specified. If I run this too often, I can usually create a 'ew make target that chains them all.

Make is definitely not perfect and could be simpler. My biggest griefs are:

* The abscons list of built-in variable. I can only remember a few of them ("dollar duck `$<` being my favorite), but they are not great to search in the docs and my brain is limited. * The "one line = one shell" is a bit of a PITA for the use case I have. I usually move more complicated script put of Makefiles.

I thought I would have been bitten by the M4 indentation more often, but it's not really a problem for me anymore at this point (my editor _knows_ Makefiles since it's so ubiquitous and does the right thing)

I have Just on my list of things to check, one day...