install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install checkmake

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install checkmake

MacPorts ports tree · devel/checkmake/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install checkmake

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · checkmake · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#checkmake

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ch/checkmake/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Linter/analyzer for Makefiles

Project links

Commands and aliases

checkmake

history

Project history and usage

checkmake is a Go command-line linter for Makefiles. It is a small but package-relevant tool because Makefiles are ubiquitous, and checkmake gives them the kind of static analysis that shell scripts, YAML, and source code often already receive.

Project history

The checkmake/checkmake repository was created in August 2016 and describes the project as a linter and analyzer for Makefiles. The README says it scans one or more Makefiles for potential issues according to configurable rules.

The project was inspired by an idea from Dan Buch, according to the README, and later moved into the checkmake GitHub organization while retaining older badge references to the original mrtazz/checkmake namespace.

Adoption history

The official README documents installation with Go, prebuilt releases, packages, packagecloud, Homebrew-style package-manager use through batch metadata, and official container images on quay.io. It also provides pre-commit hook configuration for repository-level adoption.

The README notes that checkmake is natively embedded in MegaLinter, which makes it available inside a broader multi-language linting workflow even when users do not install it directly.

How it is used

Typical usage is to run checkmake against Makefile, GNUmakefile, or *.mk inputs and receive text or JSON reports. The CLI supports a default checkmake.ini configuration file, listing rules, and custom output templates.

In CI and pre-commit workflows, checkmake is used to catch missing phony declarations and similar Makefile maintainability issues before they are merged.

Why package nerds care

checkmake is package-nerd interesting because it lints one of the oldest build-description formats still found in modern repositories. It is also a tidy example of a Go CLI distributed through source install, binary releases, containers, packagecloud, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and distro packages.

Its presence in pre-commit and MegaLinter shows the common path from standalone command to plumbing inside larger developer-tool aggregators.

Timeline

2016: checkmake/checkmake repository created.
2022: 0.2.1 release published on GitHub.
2023: 0.2.2 release used in the official pre-commit example.
2026: v0.3.x releases published, showing renewed maintenance.

Related projects

pre-commit is an adjacent integration surface documented by the project.
MegaLinter embeds checkmake for Makefile linting, and GNU Make is the input format the tool analyzes.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ./checkmake.ini
Windows: .\checkmake.ini

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`checkmake`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version0.3.2

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.3.2

https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:checkmake
Version	0.3.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/checkmake
Homepage	https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake
Repository	https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake
Upstream docs	https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake/archive/refs/tags/v0.3.2.tar.gz
Build dependencies	go, pandoc
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	checkmake
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

checkmake

nix profile install nixpkgs#checkmake

normalized package name match
Matched by: Checkmake

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ch/checkmake/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

dnf95%

checkmake 0.3.2-2.fc45

Linter/analyzer for Makefiles

https://github.com/checkmake/checkmake

sudo dnf install checkmake

License: Apache-2.0 AND BSD-3-Clause AND ISC AND MIT
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: checkmake
3 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Checkmake

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: checkmake from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

checkmake

sudo port install checkmake

normalized package name match
Matched by: Checkmake

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/checkmake/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/checkmake.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install checkmake with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix