Makefile 'ifneq' syntax error, Broadcom BCM43142

Question

I am trying to install the driver for the Broadcom BCM43142 on Tails 1.1. I am trying to follow the guide at Linux World. My laptop (Sony Vaio Flip SVF14N13CXB) has an Intel i5, 64-bit processer, so I downloaded the files from the Broadcom website for linux. I gunzip'd and untar'd the files. I got a Makefile and the lib and src folders. I ran chmod +x ./Makefile then ./Makefile. Here is what I got back.

./Makefile: line 21: syntax error near unexpected token `$()KERNELRELEASE'
./Makefile: line 21: `ifneq ($()KERNELRELEASE)'  

Here is some conext from the Makefile.

ifneq ($(KERNELRELEASE),)

  LINUXVER_GOODFOR_CFG80211:=$(strip $(shell \
    if [ "$(VERSION)" -ge "2" -a "$(PATCHLEVEL)" -ge "6" -a "$(SUBLEVEL)" -ge "32" -o     "$(VERSION)" -ge "3" ]; then \
      echo TRUE; \
    else \
      echo FALSE; \
    fi \
  ))

Any ideas? Thanks.

Answer 1

Outch!

Makefile are description file that gave rules to a program called make in order to build a software. Usually, Makefile are not executable -- even if that could be made by providing a proper chebang on the first line.

The proper usage of Makefile is to call the program make from inside the folder containing that makefile.

cd /path/to/my/driver/sources
make         # build the software
make install # install the newly build software on your system

A few things thought:

• You probably have a README or INSTALL file that explain you that already in the same folder.
• See man make for more datails about make itself.
• You should probably have asked that on http://superuser.com