>Number:         19781
>Category:       bin
>Synopsis:       make: error message not helpful
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    bin-bug-people
>State:          open
>Class:          change-request
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Sat Jan 11 04:09:01 PST 2003
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Thomas Klausner
>Release:        NetBSD 1.6L
>Organization:
>Environment:
	
	
System: NetBSD hiro.dynup.net 1.6K NetBSD 1.6K (HIRO) #0: Sat Dec 21 04:53:27 CET 2002 wiz@hiro.dynup.net:/disk/archive/cvs/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/HIRO i386
Architecture: i386
Machine: i386
>Description:
Run make on the following input file:

---begin
VAR:=	${OTHER:S/a/b/
all:
---end

Note the missing '}'.

Run make(1); it well spew the following two lines about 1400 times:
make: Unclosed variable specification for OTHER
make: Unknown modifier ''
[With an invisible ^@ between the two single quotes.]
The behaviour is better than previously, when make would just dump
core. It could still be improved, though :)

The test could be used as regression test, btw.

>How-To-Repeat:
See above.
>Fix:
Not provided.
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: