Why is automake prefixing my object files with the package name? - automake

Question

In my src directory, I have source files such as cells.c. When I perform a compilation, the compiler prefixes the object file with the package name, so that it becomes neoleo-cells.o, for example. Why is it doing this, and how can I stop it? I don't think it's standard behaviour.
Here is Makefile.am:
#VPATH = $(srcdir) $(builddir)
GUI_SRCS =
GUI_LINK =
#GUI_DEFINES = -DX_DISPLAY_MISSING
GUI_DEFINES = -DHAVE_X
# Order of linking of libraries for Motif seems to be important
# I have decided to mandate the use of the Xbae library, rather than
# have it optional.
if UseMotif
GUI_SRCS += io-motif.c appres.c fallback.c oleo_icon.xpm
GUI_LINK += -lXm -lXt -lXbae
GUI_DEFINES += -DHAVE_MOTIF
endif
GUI_SRCS += io-x11.c xrdb.c
GUI_LINK += -lX11
YFLAGS = -d
EXTRA_DIST = $(srcdir)/neoleo.i
bin_PROGRAMS = neoleo
BUILT_SOURCES = getdate.c parse.c parse.h posixtm.c posixtm.h
#BUILT_SOURCES += neoleo_wrap.c
CLEANFILES = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
#lib_LTLIBRARIES = libneoleo.la
neoleo_CFLAGS = $(GUI_DEFINES) -Dmain0=main
neoleo_LDADD = -lm -lncurses -lpthread $(GUI_LINK)
#neoleo_LDFLAGS = -e main0
#neoleo_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version -shared
neoleo_SOURCES = afm.c args.c basic.c busi.c byte-compile.c cells.c cmd.c date.c decompile.c display.c \
epson.c eval.c font.c format.c forminfo.c funcs.c graph.c gsl.c hash.c help.c \
info.c init.c input.c \
io-headless.c io-curses.c io-edit.c io-term.c io-utils.c \
ir.c key.c legend.c line.c list.c lists.c mdi.c oleofile.c pcl.c plot.c \
postscript.c print.c prtext.c ref.c regions.c sc.c sort.c string.c stub.c sylk.c utils.c \
window.c \
defuns.c \
get_date.h getdate.y \
parse.y \
posixtm.y \
neoleo_swig.c \
mysql.c $(GUI_SRCS)
noinst_HEADERS = afm.h appres.h args.h basic.h byte-compile.h cell.h \
cmd.h decompile.h defun.h defuns.h display.h epson.h \
errors.h eval.h font.h format.h forminfo.h funcdef.h \
funcs.h global.h graph.h hash.h help.h info.h init.h \
input.h io-abstract.h io-headless.h io-curses.h io-edit.h \
io-generic.h io-motif.h io-term.h io-utils.h io-x11.h \
ir.h key.h line.h list.h lists.h mdi.h mysql.h node.h \
oleofile.h oleo_plot.h oleosql.h oleo_xb.h parse.h pcl.h \
posixtm.h postscript.h print.h proto.h prtext.h ref.h \
regions.h sc.h sciplot.h sciplotI.h sort.h stub.h stubs.h \
sylk.h sysdef.h userpref.h utils.h window.h \
neoleo_swig.h
# exclude these for now:
# plotter.c xbase.cpp
ref.o : parse.h
#neoleo_wrap.c : $(srcdir)/neoleo.i neoleo_swig.c neoleo_swig.h
# swig -tcl8 -o $# $<

Answer 1

This line causes the rename of the object files:
neoleo_CFLAGS = $(GUI_DEFINES) -Dmain0=main
If you have target-dependent compilation flags, Automake chooses different names for the resulting object files. This approach avoids clashes if there are multiple different targets that use the same sources but different flags.
Now, Automake could in theory notice that this isn't happening and not rename the object files. However, in practice most people don't care what the intermediate files are called, and this approach, I believe, simplified the implementation.
In your case, it sounds like you do care. So, just rename that variable to AM_CFLAGS and everything should work as you expect.