title: Can a makefile have a directory as a target?
body: <p>I am trying to say "the download of the git repository will only work if the directory yank/ exists. If the directory yank/ does not exist then make it"</p>
  
  <pre><code>yank/gist.el/gist.el : yank
      cd yank ; git clone http://github.com/defunkt/gist.el.git 
  
  yank:
      mkdir yank
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am using makepp - <a href="http://makepp.sf.net" rel="noreferrer">http://makepp.sf.net</a>
  and am getting the error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[metaperl@andLinux ~/edan/pkg/gist.el] makepp
  makepp: Loading makefile `/home/metaperl/edan/pkg/gist.el/Makeppfile'
  makepp: Entering directory `/home/metaperl/edan/pkg/gist.el'
  mkdir yank
  mkdir: cannot create directory `yank': File exists
  makepp: error: Failed to build target `/home/metaperl/edan/pkg/gist.el/yank' [1]
  makepp: 0 files updated, 0 phony targets built and 1 target failed
  [metaperl@andLinux ~/edan/pkg/gist.el] 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But why would it try to make the yank directory if it exists? The "source" has already ben created...</p>