Updating local makefile

[Tristan Van Berkom]

Hi,
     So I got this broken rule...

hidden at the end of all the auto-build/auto-distribute scripts
embedded in the master toplevel makefile; I have the following rule:
####################################################
$(CURDIR)/Makefile:$(CURDIR)/globalconfig/Makefile
        @echo -n "Updating address@hidden "
        @cp -f $< $@
        @echo "Done."
####################################################

And for some reason it just doesn't work.

The makefile refuses to update himself unless he is explicitly
listed as a prerequisite of the invoked target.

i.e.

all:$(CURDIR)/Makefile # <-- makes the above rule work.


This behaviour is reproducable in an isolated environment
using GNU Make 3.79 (just create this makefile and copy it into
a subdir, voila!)

Is this a bug or have I misunderstood make again ;-)
(I thought that all makefiles were goal targets).

Cheers,
             -Tristan