diff -ruN a/GUI/xephem/Makefile b/GUI/xephem/Makefile
--- a/GUI/xephem/Makefile	2015-08-09 22:36:50.000000000 +0100
+++ b/GUI/xephem/Makefile	2016-01-24 09:34:24.378578717 +0000
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 # one executable, xephem.
 
 # These -I and -L flags point to the supporting XEphem libraries
-LIBINC = -I../../libastro -I../../libip -I../../liblilxml -I../../libjpegd -I../../libpng -I../../libz
-LIBLNK = -L../../libastro -L../../libip -L../../liblilxml -L../../libjpegd -L../../libpng -L../../libz
-LIBLIB = -lastro -lip -llilxml -ljpegd -lpng -lz
+LIBINC = -I../../libastro -I../../libip -I../../liblilxml
+LIBLNK = -L../../libastro -L../../libip -L../../liblilxml
+LIBLIB = -lastro -lip -llilxml -ljpeg -lpng -lz
 
 # MOTIFI is the directory containing the Xm directory of include files.
 # MOTIFL is the directory containing the libXm.a library.
@@ -30,12 +30,9 @@
 endif
 
 # for linux and Apple OS X
-CC = gcc
-CLDFLAGS = -g
-CFLAGS = $(LIBINC) $(CLDFLAGS) -O2 -Wall -I$(MOTIFI) -I/opt/X11/include
-LDFLAGS = $(LIBLNK) $(CLDFLAGS) -L$(MOTIFL) -L/opt/X11/lib
 XLIBS = -lXm -lXp -lXt -lXext -lXmu -lX11
-LIBS = $(XLIBS) $(LIBLIB) -lm
+CFLAGS := $(LIBINC) $(CFLAGS)
+LIBS = $(LIBLNK) $(XLIBS) $(LIBLIB) -lm
 
 # static linking on Apple using X11 libs from ports
 # CC = gcc
@@ -68,9 +65,9 @@
 # MOTIFI = -I/usr/include
 # MOTIFL = -L/usr/lib
 # CC = cc
-# CLDFLAGS = 
+# CLDFLAGS =
 # CFLAGS = $(LIBINC) $(CLDFLAGS) -O -I$(MOTIFI)
-# LDFLAGS = $(LIBLNK) $(CLDFLAGS) -L$(MOTIFL) 
+# LDFLAGS = $(LIBLNK) $(CLDFLAGS) -L$(MOTIFL)
 # XLIBS = -lXm -lXt -lX11
 # LIBS = $(XLIBS) $(LIBLIB) -lsocket -lnsl -lc -lm /usr/ucblib/libucb.a
 # Note: if you get regex undefined, add -lgen to the end of LIBS.
@@ -195,12 +192,9 @@
 	nroff -man $? > $@
 
 libs:
-	cd ../../libastro; make
-	cd ../../libip; make
-	cd ../../libjpegd; make
-	cd ../../liblilxml; make
-	cd ../../libpng; make
-	cd ../../libz; make
+	$(MAKE) -C ../../libastro
+	$(MAKE) -C ../../libip
+	$(MAKE) -C ../../liblilxml
 
 clean:
 	rm -fr *.o ../../lib*/*.[ao]
diff -ruN a/libastro/Makefile b/libastro/Makefile
--- a/libastro/Makefile	2006-02-24 03:37:31.000000000 +0000
+++ b/libastro/Makefile	2016-01-24 09:30:28.745982455 +0000
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 # compiler and flags
 
 # gcc
-CC = gcc
-CFLAGS= -O2 -Wall
 
 # macosx universal binary
 # CFLAGS= -O2 -Wall -arch i386 -arch ppc
@@ -83,11 +81,11 @@
 	vsop87_data.o
 
 libastro.a: $(HS) $(OBJS)
-	ar rv $@ $(OBJS)
-	ranlib $@
+	$(AR) rv $@ $(OBJS)
+	$(RANLIB) $@
 
 libastro.so: $(HS) $(OBJS)
-	$(CC) -shared -o $@ $(OBJS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $(OBJS)
 
 clobber:
 	rm -f *.o libastro.a
diff -ruN a/libip/Makefile b/libip/Makefile
--- a/libip/Makefile	2009-01-05 20:53:46.000000000 +0000
+++ b/libip/Makefile	2016-01-24 09:30:28.745982455 +0000
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 # (C) 2001 Elwood Charles Downey
 
 # gcc
-CC = gcc
-CFLAGS= -I../libastro -O2 -Wall
+CFLAGS += -I../libastro
 
 # macosx universal binary
 # CFLAGS= -I../libastro -O2 -Wall -arch i386 -arch ppc
@@ -36,11 +35,11 @@
 HS = ip.h fsmatch.h
 
 libip.a: $(HS)	$(OBJS)
-	ar rv $@ $(OBJS)
-	ranlib $@
+	$(AR) rv $@ $(OBJS)
+	$(RANLIB) $@
 
 libip.so:    $(OBJS)
-	gcc -shared -o $@ $(OBJS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $(OBJS)
 
 clobber:
 	rm -f *.o libip.a
diff -ruN a/liblilxml/Makefile b/liblilxml/Makefile
--- a/liblilxml/Makefile	2006-02-24 03:37:32.000000000 +0000
+++ b/liblilxml/Makefile	2016-01-24 09:30:28.745982455 +0000
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 # compiler and flags
 
 # gcc
-CC = gcc
-CFLAGS= -O2 -Wall
 
 # macosx universal binary
 # CFLAGS= -O2 -Wall -arch i386 -arch ppc
@@ -27,8 +25,8 @@
 OBJS = lilxml.o base64.o
 
 liblilxml.a: $(HS) $(OBJS)
-	ar r $@ $(OBJS)
-	ranlib $@
+	$(AR) r $@ $(OBJS)
+	$(RANLIB) $@
 
 liltest: liltest.o liblilxml.a
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o liltest liltest.o liblilxml.a