How to install make on Ubuntu
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
The "make" program in Linux is used to compile and manage a set of source code applications and files. It allows developers to install and gather a range of apps via the terminal. It also controls and cuts down on the amount of time necessary for compilation. The basic objective of the make command is to break down a large program into smaller chunks and determine if it needs to be recompiled. It also has all of the necessary instructions for recompiling them. In this article, we will be installing the make program on the Ubuntu system.
Installing 'make' on Ubuntu
The following steps will guide you through installing the make program on Ubuntu. Although Ubuntu often comes with make pre-installed, it's important to verify its installation.
Step 1: Update Your Ubuntu System
Firstly, we will update our operating system by using the below command.
sudo apt update
Update Your Ubuntu SystemStep 2: Check if 'make' is already installed or not
make package can be included by default in the Ubuntu operating system, so we need to check if it is already installed before proceeding. We can check it by running the command below on the terminal.
make -version
Check if 'make' is already installed or notWe can see the error shown below if the make package is not installed in Ubuntu for whatever reason.
Step 3: Install make on Ubuntu
Enter the below command to install the make package.
sudo apt install make
Install make on UbuntuStep 4: Verify the 'make' Binary Location
After installing, we will check the make directory on our system in order to use the make package. We may double-check this by executing the below command.
ls /usr/bin/make
Verify the make Binary LocationIf the make binary is located at '/usr/bin/make', the installation was successful.
Conclusion
The 'make' command is a crucial tool for developers working on Linux, especially for compiling large projects with many files. Here we have learned the detailed step-by-step process to install make on Ubuntu, verify the installation, and troubleshoot common issues.