Error in make command makefile:18: *** missing separator. Stop [duplicate]

Question

For the following make file copied below, I am getting the missing separator error. Nothing seems to be wrong with the tabspace.

OBJS = driver.o snapshot.o SHOBJS = malloc.o mymemory.o CC = g++ DEBUG = -g CFLAGS = -Wall -c $(DEBUG) LFLAGS = -Wall $(DEBUG) Snapshot: $(OBJS)   $(CC) $(LFLAGS) $(OBJS) -o Snapshot driver.o: snapshot.h driver.cpp   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) driver.cpp snapshot.o: mymemory.h snapshot.h snapshot.cpp   $(CC) $(CFLAGS) snapshot.cpp libmymemory.so: $(SHOBJS)   gcc -shared -o libmymemory.so malloc.o mymemory.o malloc.o: malloc.c   gcc -fPIC -g -c -Wall malloc.c mymemory.o: mymemory.cpp  gcc -fPIC -g -c -Wall mymemory.cpp  clean:  \rm *.o *~ Snapshot 

Answer 1

Line 18 is gcc -fPIC -g -c -Wall mymemory.cpp. Make is expecting a separator, typically :. It's not detecting this line as a command. You mistyped the intendation: you have spaces where you should have a tab.

Good editors highlight makefile lines that begin with spaces but look like they should begin with a tab instead.