What is `all:` command?

Question

I encountered a problem while using all command (or variable if : is used to create one) during problem set 3.

bash: all:: command not found

The context is building both generate and find (two files designed by the mentors) simply by executing the below.

all: find generate
make all

Can anyone tell me what all is or how to create such a variable? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

From the spec:

Let’s finish looking at that Makefile. Notice the line below.

all: find generate

This target implies that you can build both generate and find simply by executing the below.

make all

The line "all: find generate" is a line in the Makefile so that you can issue make all at the command line.