LINTIAN

# `debian-rules-ignores-make-clean-error`

A rule in the `debian/rules` file for this package calls the package's clean or distclean target with a line like:

    -$(MAKE) distclean

or

    $(MAKE) -i distclean

The leading "-" or the option -i tells make to ignore all errors. Normally this is done for packages using Autoconf since Makefile may not exist. However, this line ignores all other error messages, not just the missing Makefile error. It's better to use:

    [ ! -f Makefile ] || $(MAKE) distclean

so that other error messages from the clean or distclean rule will still be caught (or just remove the "-" if the package uses a static makefile).

Severity: | `warning`
Experimental: | `false`

## See also

- list of all the affected packages
- the source of this tag