Makefile:3: *** missing separator. Stop - linux

Question

I have attempted what I could, with the answers found on StackOverflow on this question. I do not believe the issue is with tabs. Here is the makefile:
# $OpenBSD: Makefile,v 1.15 2010/02/09 08:55:31 markus Exp $
.include <bsd.own.mk>
SUBDIR= lib ssh sshd ssh-add ssh-keygen ssh-agent scp sftp-server \
ssh-keysign ssh-keyscan sftp ssh-pkcs11-helper
distribution:
${INSTALL} -C -o root -g wheel -m 0644 ${.CURDIR}/ssh_config \
${DESTDIR}/etc/ssh/ssh_config
${INSTALL} -C -o root -g wheel -m 0644 ${.CURDIR}/sshd_config \
${DESTDIR}/etc/ssh/sshd_config
.include <bsd.subdir.mk>
I have attempted to put a tab before line 3 (where the issue is), and had the following error appear:
Makefile:3: *** commands commence before first target. Stop.
This isn't a makefile of my own design--it was downloaded directly from here:
http://www.openssh.com/openbsd.html
(first download link)
Additionally, based on another answer to this question, I have used the following command:
root#server:/usr/src/ssh# cat -e -t -v Makefile
which output the following:
\#^I$OpenBSD: Makefile,v 1.15 2010/02/09 08:55:31 markus Exp $$ $ .include <bsd.own.mk>$ $ SUBDIR=^Ilib ssh sshd ssh-add ssh-keygen
ssh-agent scp sftp-server \$ ^Issh-keysign ssh-keyscan sftp
ssh-pkcs11-helper$ $ distribution:$ ^I${INSTALL} -C -o root -g wheel
-m 0644 ${.CURDIR}/ssh_config \$ ^I ${DESTDIR}/etc/ssh/ssh_config$ ^I${INSTALL} -C -o root -g wheel -m 0644 ${.CURDIR}/sshd_config \$ ^I
${DESTDIR}/etc/ssh/sshd_config$ $ .include <bsd.subdir.mk>$
Does anyone know what could be the issue? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

This makefile is written for BSD make. You're trying to run it with GNU make. They use different formats.
In particular, the .include command is not valid in GNU make.

Answer 2

Since you've tagged your question with "linux", I assume you're using Linux and not OpenBSD. The ssh version you want for Linux is the portable one, but it seems you downloaded the OpenBSD-specific one. Try http://www.openssh.com/portable.html . See the openssh front page for details on the OpenBSD/portable split releases.

Answer 3

Check your /etc/vimrc or /etc/virc, Comment out the set expandtab
"set expandtab " Always uses spaces instead of tab characters (et)
Using tab reedit the Makefile file. You can look also see the keywords missing separator by info make, you will see:
`missing separator. Stop.'
`missing separator (did you mean TAB instead of 8 spaces?). Stop.'
This means that `make' could not understand much of anything about
the makefile line it just read. GNU `make' looks for various
separators (`:', `=', recipe prefix characters, etc.) to indicate
what kind of line it's parsing. This message means it couldn't
find a valid one.
One of the most common reasons for this message is that you (or
perhaps your oh-so-helpful editor, as is the case with many
MS-Windows editors) have attempted to indent your recipe lines
with spaces instead of a tab character. In this case, `make' will
use the second form of the error above. Remember that every line
in the recipe must begin with a tab character (unless you set
`.RECIPEPREFIX'; *note Special Variables::). Eight spaces do not
count. *Note Rule Syntax::.