# google/kati

An experimental GNU make clone

Repository: https://github.com/google/kati
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kati
Language: Rust
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-08-18T23:37:35+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 76/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4079, "days_push": 15, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1020, forks 131 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:15.574685+00:00)

## What it is
Kati is an experimental GNU make clone from Google whose main purpose is to speed up incremental builds of Android by converting Makefiles into Ninja files. It ships a C++ implementation (ckati) plus an experimental Rust port (rkati) that acts as a drop-in replacement.

## Use cases
- speed up incremental Android builds
- convert Makefiles to Ninja files
- replace GNU make in a build pipeline
- run Android build commands like m and mmm
- test a make-compatible build tool

## When to choose
- you are building Android N+ or maintaining its build system
- you need a make-compatible tool that emits Ninja files for faster incremental builds
- you want to experiment with or contribute to a make clone

## When to avoid
- you need a general-purpose faster make for non-Android projects
- you expect kati itself to execute builds faster than GNU make
- you need full compatibility with the latest GNU make features

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: build-tool, developer-tools
- domain: developer-tools, android-tools
- platform: cli, cpp, rust
- tags: gnu-make-clone, ninja-file-generator, android-build, incremental-build, automation, linux

## Member repositories
- google/kati (main) score 76

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:15.574685+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:09:17.111154+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/google/kati (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:15.574685+00:00, sha 27efd6af23f5)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.