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Windows

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Option A: Chocolatey (easy)

# Run in an elevated PowerShell (Run as Administrator)
choco install make
# verify
make --version

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Option B: Scoop (no admin needed)

# In a normal PowerShell
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned
iwr get.scoop.sh -useb | iex
scoop install make
make --version

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Option C: MSYS2 (full Unix-like env)

# 1) Install MSYS2 from https://www.msys2.org/
# 2) In "MSYS2 MSYS" terminal:
pacman -Syu         # then reopen terminal if asked
pacman -S make
make --version
Visual Studio’s nmake is a different tool (not GNU make).

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Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update
# Pulls in compilers and common build tools, including make
sudo apt install build-essential
# (or just) sudo apt install make
make --version

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macOS

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Option A: Xcode Command Line Tools (most common)

xcode-select --install   # follow the prompt
make --version
This provides Apple’s/BSD-flavored make, which is fine for most projects.

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Option B: Homebrew (get GNU make ≥ 4.x as gmake)

# Install Homebrew if needed: https://brew.sh
brew install make
gmake --version
If a project specifically requires GNU make as make, you can use: echo ‘alias make=“gmake”’ >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc

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Troubleshooting tips

  • If make isn’t found, restart your terminal (or on Windows, open a new PowerShell) so your PATH updates.
  • Run which make (where make on Windows) to confirm which binary you’re using.
  • For Windows builds that depend on Unix tools (sed, grep, etc.), prefer MSYS2 or WSL for a smoother experience.