diff --git a/lib/Makefile.inc b/lib/Makefile.inc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e9426ccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Makefile.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#####
+##Top Makefile to build the Minix libraries for ack and gnu
+#
+##needed in makefile that includes this file:
+#
+##libraries to build without .a:
+#LIBRARIES=liba libb libc
+#
+##object files per library:
+#liba_OBJECTS=filea2.o filea2.o
+#libb_OBJECTS=fileb.o
+#libc_OBJECTS=filec.o
+#
+##if it has subdirectories
+#SUBDIRS=subdir1 subdir2
+#
+#
+##The main Makefile has to specify the ack and gnu base object directories:
+#ACKBASE=/path/to/ack-obj
+#GNUBASE=/path/to/gnu-obj
+##or relative in this way: 
+#ACKBASE=$(CURDIR)/ack-obj
+#GNUBASE=$(CURDIR)/gnu-obj
+#
+##All these variables have to be set before including this Makefile
+#
+#
+##To customize dependencies for targets you can do the following
+#$(call ADDDEPENDENCIES,filea2.o fileb.o,header1.h header2.h)
+#
+##And to customize MAKE variables for targets use the same construct this way
+#$(call ADDDEPENDENCIES,filea2.o fileb.o,CFLAGS+=-D_EXTRA_DEFINES -g)
+#
+##Only one variable can be set per call to ADDDEPENDENCIES
+#
+
+##Object files that must end up in the top level object directory must be in
+##then variable named TOPLEVEL_OBJECTS
+
+ifndef ACKBASE
+$(error ACKBASE not set)
+endif
+
+ifndef GNUBASE
+$(error GNUBASE not set)
+endif
+
+.PHONY: all 
+all:: $(addsuffix .a, \
+	$(addprefix $(ACKBASE)/,$(LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(addprefix $(GNUBASE)/,$(LIBRARIES))) \
+	$(addprefix $(ACKBASE)/,$(TOPLEVEL_OBJECTS)) \
+	$(addprefix $(GNUBASE)/,$(TOPLEVEL_OBJECTS)) \
+	subdirs
+
+.PHONY: clean
+clean:: subdirs
+	rm -rf $(ACKBASE)/$(OBJDIR) $(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)
+
+.PHONY: install
+install::
+
+#Start objects
+define TOPLEVEL_template
+$$(addprefix $$(ACKBASE)/,$(1)): $$(addprefix $$(ACKBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/,$(1))
+	cp $$? $$@
+$$(addprefix $$(GNUBASE)/,$(1)): $$(addprefix $$(GNUBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/,$(1))
+	cp $$? $$@
+endef
+
+$(foreach obj,$(TOPLEVEL_OBJECTS),$(eval $(call TOPLEVEL_template,$(obj))))
+
+#Library stuff
+define LIBRARY_template
+$$(ACKBASE)/$(1).a: $$(addprefix $$(ACKBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/,$$($(1)_OBJECTS))
+	$$(AR) cr $$@ $$?
+
+$$(GNUBASE)/$(1).a: $$(addprefix $$(GNUBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/,$$($(1)_OBJECTS))
+	$$(AR) cr $$@ $$?
+	ranlib $$@
+endef
+
+$(foreach lib,$(LIBRARIES),$(eval $(call LIBRARY_template,$(lib))))
+
+#subdirectories
+.PHONY: subdirs $(SUBDIRS)
+subdirs: $(SUBDIRS)
+$(SUBDIRS):
+	mkdir -p $(ACKBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/$@
+	mkdir -p $(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/$@
+	ACKBASE=$(ACKBASE) GNUBASE=$(GNUBASE) OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR)/$@ $(MAKE) -C $@ $(MAKECMDGOALS)
+#	$(call compiledir-ack,$@)
+#	$(call compiledir-gnu,$@)
+
+#ack vs gnu
+define compiledir_ack
+	mkdir -p $(ack_OBJDIR)/$(OBJDIR)/$(1)
+	cd $(1) && OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR)/$(1) AR=ar AS='cc -c' CC=cc RANLIB= ASMEXT=s gmake $@ $(MAKECMDGOALS)
+endef
+
+define compiledir_gnu
+	mkdir -p $(gnu_OBJDIR)/$(OBJDIR)/$(1)
+	cd $(1) && OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR)/$(1) AR=gar AS=gas CC=gcc RANLIB=ranlib ASMEXT=gs gmake $@ $(MAKECMDGOALS)
+endef
+
+#Build commands
+#$(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%: AR=gar AS=gas CC=gcc RANLIB=ranlib ASMEXT=gs ASMPREFIX=$(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)
+#$(ACKBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%: AR=ar AS='cc -c' CC=cc RANLIB= ASMEXT=s
+
+#$(1)/$$(OBJDIR)/%.o: $(3)
+define COMPILE_template
+$(1)/%: AR=$(3)
+$(1)/%: AS=$(4)
+$(1)/%: CC=$(5)
+
+$(1)/$$(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.$(2)
+	$$(COMPILE.s) -o $$@ $$<
+
+$(1)/$$(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
+	$$(COMPILE.c) -o $$@ $$<
+endef
+
+#ASMPREFIX?
+#$(1)/$$(OBJDIR)/%.o: $(2)%.$(3)
+#	$$(COMPILE.s) -o $$@ $$<
+#$(eval $(call COMPILE_template,$$(ACKBASE),,s,ar,cc -c,cc))
+#$(eval $(call COMPILE_template,$$(GNUBASE),$$(GNUBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/,gs,gar,gas,gcc))
+#$(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%.gs: %.s
+
+#$(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%.o: $(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%.gs
+#	$(COMPILE.s) -o $@ $<
+
+#$(GNUBASE)/$(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
+#	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
+$(eval $(call COMPILE_template,$$(ACKBASE),s,ar,cc -c,cc))
+$(eval $(call COMPILE_template,$$(GNUBASE),gs,gar,gas,gcc))
+
+%.gs: %.s
+	@echo converting $< to gnu assembler format...
+	@-gcc $(CFLAGS) -E -x assembler-with-cpp -I. $< | asmconv -mi386 ack gnu > $@
+
+#DEPENDENCIES
+define DEPENDENCIES_template
+$$(ACKBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/$(1): $(2)
+$$(GNUBASE)/$$(OBJDIR)/$(1): $(2)
+endef
+
+define ADDDEPENDENCIES
+$(foreach target,$(1),$(eval $(call DEPENDENCIES_template,$(target),$(2))))
+endef
+
+#this could also be automated by adding an extra template that uses the names of object files as variable name