The problem with binutils wasn’t make/gmake-related. I have no problem with requiring gmake as a rule, I maintain this: https://github.com/neosmart/gmake-proxy
But the whole point of autotools is to write a flavor-agnostic Makefile that gets compiled into a working Makefile. For it not to work defeats the point.
It's just the tool to make the compatible releases possible. The compatibility doesn't fall from the sky, somebody should actively work on it. And you can be that someone.
But the whole point of autotools is to write a flavor-agnostic Makefile that gets compiled into a working Makefile. For it not to work defeats the point.