Microsoft C 5.10 odd error when run from Gnu Make about comcom64 HOT 4 CLOSED

I tried a couple of things
1/ Switched to Freecom and FDPP, same issue
2/ Switched to Freecom and FreeDOS 1.20 seems better for case without loadfix, but with loadfix the problem remains

C:\mytest>gmake clean
del *.obj
one file removed.

C:\mytest>rem just compiler
C:\mytest>gmake test1
cl /c import.c
Microsoft (R) C Optimizing Compiler Version 5.10
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988. All rights reserved.
 
import.c

C:\mytest>rem compiler with loadfix
C:\mytest>gmake test2
loadfix cl /c import.c
gmake.exe: *** [Makefile:7: test2] Error -1

C:\mytest>rem just echo
C:\mytest>gmake test3
echo hello import.c > import.obj

C:\mytest>rem loadfixed compiler without gmake
C:\mytest>loadfix cl /c import.c
Microsoft (R) C Optimizing Compiler Version 5.10
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988. All rights reserved.
 
import.c

from comcom64.

The bugs are all in your test case.
First, you screw up PATH variable,
excluding the path to command.com
from it. If you didn't, you could write
in a makefile:
command /c loadfix cl /c $<
because loadfix is not an external cmd.

Note that gmake adds an additional
confusion here. It seems to have the
table of command.com commands,
which it would exec via command.com
(like echo), but loadfix/loadhigh are
not among those, otherwise things
would work for you as-is.

from comcom64.

Ah, okay, thanks! It's the first time I used gmake in DOS, I assumed each line was run in a shell and that COMSPEC would locate that.

from comcom64.

I assumed each line was run in a shell and that COMSPEC would locate that.

As I said, gmake seems to be doing that
for the commands that it knows to come
from a shell. You can find the list of such
commands in a gmake binary, but
loadfix/loadhigh are not there.

from comcom64.