do the Makefile checking using make itself

sys/unix/Makefile.check

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# NetHack 3.7  Makefile.check $NHDT-Date: 1599687610 2020/09/09 21:40:10 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7
+
+mkfile_path := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+mkfile_dir := $(dir $(mkfile_path))
+SUPATH := sys/unix/
+MKINCLVERS := 370
+MKINCLPATH := $(SUPATH)hints/include/
+MKINCLNAMES := compiler cross-pre cross-post \
+		 gbdates-pre gbdates-post \
+		 multiw-1 multiw-2 multiw-3 \
+		 multisnd1-pre multisnd2-pre multisnd-post
+MKINCLFILES := $(addprefix $(MKINCLPATH), $(addsuffix .$(MKINCLVERS), $(MKINCLNAMES)))
+
+allmakefiles: dat/Makefile src/Makefile util/Makefile doc/Makefile Makefile
+
+dat/Makefile: $(SUPATH)Makefile.dat $(MKINCLFILES)
+	@echo Attention: $@ is older than: $?
+
+src/Makefile: $(SUPATH)Makefile.src $(MKINCLFILES)
+	@echo Attention: $@ is older than: $?
+
+util/Makefile: $(SUPATH)Makefile.utl $(MKINCLFILES)
+	@echo Attention: $@ is older than: $?
+
+doc/Makefile: $(SUPATH)Makefile.doc $(MKINCLFILES)
+	@echo Attention: $@ is older than: $?
+
+Makefile: $(SUPATH)Makefile.top $(MKINCLFILES)
+	@echo Attention: $@ is older than: $?
+

sys/unix/Makefile.top

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ LUA2NHTOP = ../../..
 LUABASELIB = liblua-$(LUA_VERSION).a
 TOPLUALIB = lib/lua/$(LUABASELIB)
 
-ALLDEP = $(GAME) recover Guidebook $(VARDAT) spec_levs check-dlb check-nhlua
+ALLDEP = $(PRECHECK) $(GAME) recover Guidebook $(VARDAT) spec_levs check-dlb check-nhlua
 
 # first target is also the default target for 'make' without any arguments
 all:    $(ALLDEP)
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ fetch-lua-http:
 # 'make update' can be used to install a revised version after making
 # customizations or such.  Unlike 'make install', it doesn't delete everything
 # from the target directory to have a clean start.
-update: $(GAME) recover $(VARDAT) spec_levs
+update: $(PRECHECK) $(GAME) recover $(VARDAT) spec_levs
 #	(don't yank the old version out from under people who're playing it)
 	-mv $(INSTDIR)/$(GAME) $(INSTDIR)/$(GAME).old
 	-mv $(INSTDIR)/nhdat $(INSTDIR)/nhdat.old
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ update: $(GAME) recover $(VARDAT) spec_levs
 rootcheck:
 	@true; $(ROOTCHECK)
 
-install: rootcheck $(GAME) recover $(VARDAT) spec_levs
+install: rootcheck $(PRECHECK) $(GAME) recover $(VARDAT) spec_levs
 	true; $(PREINSTALL)
 # set up the directories
 # not all mkdirs have -p; those that don't will create a -p directory

sys/unix/hints/include/general-pre.370

@@ -1,57 +0,0 @@
-# NetHack 3.7  general-pre.370 $NHDT-Date: 1599687610 2020/09/09 21:40:10 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.11 $
-
-ifdef MAKEFILE_TOP
-mkfile_path := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
-mkfile_dir := $(dir $(mkfile_path))
-SUPATH :=$(mkfile_dir)sys/unix/
-#$(info $(.VARIABLES))
-ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
-notified=No
-touchquiet=
-# Check the placed Makefiles against the time stamp
-# of their source in sys/unix, and report if appropriate.
-MFCHECKDAT := $(shell [ $(SUPATH)Makefile.dat -nt $(mkfile_dir)dat/Makefile ] \
-	&& echo "outdated")
-MFCHECKSRC := $(shell [ $(SUPATH)Makefile.src -nt $(mkfile_dir)src/Makefile ] \
-	&& echo "outdated")
-MFCHECKUTL := $(shell [ $(SUPATH)Makefile.utl -nt $(mkfile_dir)util/Makefile ] \
-	&& echo "outdated")
-MFCHECKDOC := $(shell [ $(SUPATH)Makefile.doc -nt $(mkfile_dir)doc/Makefile ] \
-	&& echo "outdated")
-MFCHECKTOP := $(shell [ $(SUPATH)Makefile.top -nt $(mkfile_dir)Makefile ] \
-	&& echo "outdated")
-ifeq ($(MFCHECKDAT),outdated)
-$(info Attention: ../sys/unix/Makefile.dat is newer than dat/Makefile)
-notified=Yes
-touchquiet += dat/Makefile
-endif
-ifeq ($(MFCHECKSRC),outdated)
-$(info Attention: ../sys/unix/Makefile.src is newer than src/Makefile)
-notified=Yes
-touchquiet += src/Makefile
-endif
-ifeq ($(MFCHECKUTL),outdated)
-$(info Attention: ../sys/unix/Makefile.utl is newer than util/Makefile)
-notified=Yes
-touchquiet += util/Makefile
-endif
-ifeq ($(MFCHECKDOC),outdated)
-$(info Attention: ../sys/unix/Makefile.doc is newer than doc/Makefile)
-notified=Yes
-touchquiet += doc/Makefile
-endif
-ifeq ($(MFCHECKTOP),outdated)
-$(info Attention: ../sys/unix/Makefile.top is newer than Makefile)
-notified=Yes
-touchquiet += Makefile
-endif
-ifeq ("$(notified)","Yes")
-$(info You should consider re-executing sys/unix/setup.sh)
-ifneq ("$(touchquiet)","")
-$(info or to quiet this message: 'touch $(touchquiet)')
-endif
-$(info )
-endif  # notified
-endif  # MAKELEVEL = 0
-endif  # MAKEFILE_TOP
-# --- end of general-post.370

sys/unix/hints/linux.370

@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@
 # as Ubuntu focal).
 
 # note: '#-INCLUDE' is not just a comment
-#
-#-INCLUDE general-pre.370
 #        multiw-1.370 contains sections 1 to 2
 #-INCLUDE multiw-1.370
 
+PRECHECK+=checkmakefiles
 
 ifndef LIBXPM
 LIBXPM= -L/opt/X11/lib -lXpm
@@ -360,6 +359,10 @@ GAMEPERM = 0755
 #-INCLUDE multisnd-post.370
 #
 
+.PHONY: checkmakefiles
+checkmakefiles:
+	( $(MAKE) -f sys/unix/Makefile.check )
+
 ifdef WANT_LIBNH
 $(TARGETPFX)libnh.a: $(HOBJ) $(LIBNHSYSOBJ) ../lib/lua/liblua.a
 	$(AR) rcs $@ $(HOBJ) $(LIBNHSYSOBJ) ../lib/lua/liblua.a

sys/unix/hints/macOS.370

@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
 #
 
 # note: '#-INCLUDE' is not just a comment; multiw-1 contains sections 1 to 2
-#-INCLUDE general-pre.370
-#
 #-INCLUDE multiw-1.370
 
+
+PRECHECK+=checkmakefiles
+
 ifneq "$(USEMACPORTS)" "1"
 HAVE_HOMEBREW := $(shell expr `which -s brew; echo $$?` = 0)
 endif
@@ -487,6 +488,11 @@ endif   # MAKEFILE_SRC
 #-INCLUDE multisnd-post.370
 #
 
+.PHONY: checkmakefiles
+checkmakefiles: checkstamp
+       ( $(MAKE) -f sys/unix/Makefile.check )
+
+
 ifdef WANT_LIBNH
 $(TARGETPFX)libnh.a: $(HOBJ) $(LIBNHSYSOBJ) ../lib/lua/liblua.a
 	$(AR) rcs $@ $(HOBJ) $(LIBNHSYSOBJ) ../lib/lua/liblua.a