Why does using 'make' when compiling Apache2 return "recipe for target 'httpd' failed" and how can I fix it?

Question

lsb_release:

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS
Release:    16.04
Codename:   xenial

I am trying to install Apache2 and I struggling to compile the source. I have successfully configured it, but when I use 'make' it responds with "recipe for target 'httpd' failed". Here is the full output from using 'make' - relevant information at the bottom. I'd like to know why this happened and how I can prevent it from happening. Thank-you!

jack@jw-xubuntu-desk1:~/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23$ make
Making all in srclib
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/srclib'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/srclib'
Making all in os
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os'
Making all in unix
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os/unix'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os/unix'
make[3]: Nothing to be done for 'local-all'.
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os/unix'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os/unix'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os'
Making all in server
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server'
Making all in mpm
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm'
Making all in event
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm/event'
make[4]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm/event'
make[4]: Nothing to be done for 'local-all'.
make[4]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm/event'
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm/event'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/mpm'
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server'
Making all in modules
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules'
Making all in aaa
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/aaa'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/aaa'
Making all in cache
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/cache'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/cache'
Making all in core
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/core'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/core'
make[3]: Nothing to be done for 'local-all'.
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/core'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/core'
Making all in database
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/database'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/database'
Making all in debugging
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/debugging'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/debugging'
Making all in filters
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/filters'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/filters'
Making all in http
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/http'
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/http'
make[3]: Nothing to be done for 'local-all'.
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/http'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/http'
Making all in ldap
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ldap'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ldap'
Making all in loggers
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/loggers'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/loggers'
Making all in metadata
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/metadata'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/metadata'
Making all in proxy
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/proxy'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/proxy'
Making all in session
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/session'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/DoThankyou!cuments/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/session'
Making all in slotmem
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/slotmem'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/slotmem'
Making all in ssl
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ssl'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ssl'
Making all in proxy/balancers
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/proxy/balancers'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/proxy/balancers'
Making all in arch/unix
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/arch/unix'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/arch/unix'
Making all in dav/main
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/dav/main'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/dav/main'
Making all in generators
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/generators'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/generators'
Making all in dav/fs
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/dav/fs'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/dav/fs'
Making all in mappers
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/mappers'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/mappers'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules'
Making all in support
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/support'
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/support'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for 'local-all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/support'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/support'
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23'
x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc  -pthread      -DLINUX -D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE     -I. -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/os/unix -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/include -I/usr/include/apr-1.0 -I/usr/include -I/usr/local/pcre/include -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/aaa -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/cache -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/core -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/database -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/filters -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ldap -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/loggers -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/lua -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/proxy -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/session -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/ssl -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/test -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/arch/unix -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/dav/main -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/generators -I/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/modules/mappers  -c /home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/server/buildmark.c
/usr/share/apr-1.0/build/libtool --silent --mode=link x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc  -pthread         -o httpd  modules.lo buildmark.o -export-dynamic server/libmain.la modules/core/libmod_so.la modules/http/libmod_http.la server/mpm/event/libevent.la os/unix/libos.la      /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libaprutil-1.la /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libapr-1.la 
server/.libs/libmain.a(util_pcre.o): In function `ap_regfree':
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x109): undefined reference to `pcre_free'
server/.libs/libmain.a(util_pcre.o): In function `ap_regcomp':
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x196): undefined reference to `pcre_compile2'
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x1f4): undefined reference to `pcre_fullinfo'
server/.libs/libmain.a(util_pcre.o): In function `ap_regexec_len':
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x3b5): undefined reference to `pcre_exec'
server/.libs/libmain.a(util_pcre.o): In function `ap_regname':
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x5c3): undefined reference to `pcre_fullinfo'
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x5e3): undefined reference to `pcre_fullinfo'
util_pcre.c:(.text+0x603): undefined reference to `pcre_fullinfo'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/build/program.mk:22: recipe for target 'httpd' failed
make[1]: *** [httpd] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23'
/home/jack/Documents/apache/httpd-2.4.23/build/rules.mk:75: recipe for target 'all-recursive' failed
make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1

Answer 1

I solved this problem by using the --with-pcre with configure and pointing to the correct path of the installed PCRE.

For example: ./configure --prefix=/u01/app/apache/apr/ --with-pcre=/u01/app/apache/pcre/bin.