---
name: "sysconf-make"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sysconf-make"
---

# sysconf-make(8)

configure make.conf directives

## NAME

**sysconf make** – configure make.conf directives

## SYNOPSIS

**sysconf** **make** \[**-ceFinNqsvVx**\] \[**-j** *jail* \| **-R** *dir*\] \[**-f** *file*\] *name*\[\[+\|-\]=*value*\] *...*

**sysconf** **make** \[**-eFnNqvV**\] \[**-f** *file*\] **-a**

**sysconf** **make** \[**-E**\] **-l** \| **-L**

## DESCRIPTION

The **make** target of [sysconf(8)](/sysconf/8.md) reads and writes [make(1)](/make/1.md)-syntax configuration on */etc/make.conf* by default, or on any single file named with **-f**. Shared options are in [sysconf(8)](/sysconf/8.md); [make(1)](/make/1.md) limitations and multi-file policy for other targets in [sysconf-targets(8)](/sysconf-targets/8.md).

‘+=’ is the [make(1)](/make/1.md) append operator: a new ‘name+=value’ line is appended (prior assignments for the same name are left intact), and reads report the cumulative effective value as **make** **-V** would. Assignment modifiers may also be requested by suffixing the name, as in ‘CFLAGS+=-DDEBUG’.

‘-=’ is not a [make(1)](/make/1.md) operator; it strikes each given word from the *last* assignment whose value contains that word as a whole whitespace-separated token (rewriting the statement, or deleting it when the value becomes empty), so successive strikes peel list fragments from the end of the assignment chain without collapsing earlier ‘+=’ lines.

‘WITH\_\*’ and ‘WITHOUT\_\*’ presence knobs may be set with **-s** (preferred; writes ‘name=’) or *name*=; reads report ‘name (present)’ for any assigned value( **-e** prints the real assignment, e.g. ‘name=’ or ‘name=t’; **-n** prints that same value alone). **-s** is a no-op when the knob is already defined (any value); an explicit *name*= (including empty) always writes, and a change of placeholder echoes ‘name: old -\> new’. **-s** does not clear an inverse ‘WITH\_’ or ‘WITHOUT\_’ for the same option( use **-V** and clean up manually if needed).

Writing ‘WITH\_*foo*=no’ (exact lowercase ‘no’) still stores the assignment but warns to use ‘WITHOUT\_*foo*=1’, matching the ‘.warning’ in *share/mk/bsd.mkopt.mk*. **sysconf make** emits that advisory on write and on read (named queries and **-a**), with ‘file:line:’ of the authoritative statement when known (suppressed by **-q**), because [make.conf(5)](/make.conf/5.md) is read by */usr/src* builds: a line such as *WITH\_MANCOMPRESS*=no here is what produces

```
warning: Use WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS=1 instead of WITH_MANCOMPRESS=no
```

when running [make(1)](/make/1.md) in */usr/src* (after *bsd.opts.mk* *reloads* *bsd.mkopt.mk* *for* *common* *options*). The read-time form matters when the default presence display hides the ‘=no’ value behind ‘(present)’. The same line stays silent under a bare ‘make -C /tmp’ or ports, which never evaluate that option list. Neither **sysconf make** nor make warns for ‘WITHOUT\_\*=no’ or ‘WITH\_\*=NO’: presence of ‘WITHOUT\_’ still disables, and ‘WITH\_’ with a value other than lowercase ‘no’ does not match the check.

*WITHOUT\_MODULES* is not a presence knob: its value is a module reject list, so **-s** is rejected and reads print the module list rather than ‘(present)’. Set it with a normal assignment (e.g. *WITHOUT\_MODULES*=*plip*).

This target has no defaults file; **-d**, **-D**, and **-A** are errors. For the */usr/src* build triad see [sysconf-src(8)](/sysconf-src/8.md).

## FILES

- */etc/make.conf*

  Default file for the **make** target.

## EXAMPLES

```
sysconf make CFLAGS+=-DDEBUG
```

```
sysconf make -s WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS
```

```
sysconf make WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS
```

Strike a word from the last ‘+=’ fragment that contains it (here removing ‘3 from the final line only’):

```
bar+=1
bar+=1 2
bar+=1 2 3
```

```
sysconf make bar-=3
```

leaves ‘bar+=1 2’ on the last line. Repeating with ‘bar-=2’ and ‘bar-=1’ peels that line further, then removes it when emptied.

## SEE ALSO

[make(1)](/make/1.md), [sysconf(8)](/sysconf/8.md), [sysconf-src(8)](/sysconf-src/8.md), [sysconf-targets(8)](/sysconf-targets/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **sysconf** utility first appeared in FreeBSD 16.0.

## AUTHORS

Devin Teske ⟨*dteske@FreeBSD.org*⟩ Faraz Vahedi ⟨*kfv@FreeBSD.org*⟩