autoconfiscation -- questions about make usage

[Nathanael Nerode]

All right.  I'm doing a lot of makefile rewriting as part of my
autoconfiscation of the top level directory.  I need to know what GNU make
constructs I'm allowed to use.  Do I need to stick to
lowest-common-denominator make?

It would make things easier if I could define static pattern rules, but if
I can't I can find a way around it.

--Nathanael