make [?] error [?]

Hi all! I'm trying to compile a program and I got make [1]: . . . make [2]: . . . I've read 'man make' from beginning to end and can't find a clue to those backeted numbers (worse yet, another compile gave make [1], make [2], make [3], followed by a couple of make [2] and make [1]). Question 1: What's the meaning of those bracketed numbers? Both those tries at compiling programs resulted in *** Error 1 . . . *** Error 2 . . . 'man make' says the three asterisks mean "fatal error." Nowhere I'm able to find *what* Error 1 and Error 2 are. Question 2: Where do I find the meaning of those errors and, more importantly, how/what do I do to fix them? TALIA. -- Regards, gr, in /usually/ sunny, balmy Florida's Suncoast.