Linux Kernel Make Clean

Difference of make clean/mrproper/distclean

Run make help in linux kernel direcroty, can get

# make help
Cleaning targets:
clean       - Remove most generated files but keep the config and enough build support to build external modules
mrproper    - Remove all generated files + config + various backup files
distclean   - mrproper + remove editor backup and patch files

So, - for removed files, clean < mrproper < distclean - if want to build external modules, then run make clean, and remove all the source (*.S, *.c) files.

See kernel's Makefile for more details.

clean: archclean $(clean-dirs)
    $(call cmd,rmdirs)
    $(call cmd,rmfiles)
    @find . $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
    [Math Processing Error] \
    -type f -print | xargs rm -f

mrproper: clean archmrproper $(mrproper-dirs)
    $(call cmd,rmdirs)
    $(call cmd,rmfiles)

distclean: mrproper
    @find $(srctree) $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
    [Math Processing Error] \
    -type f -print | xargs rm -f