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for this use.  If we can make a modified version of it
that would do the right thing for this use, why shouldn't we?

    Consider a Makefile that says how to build a certain file, and that
    lists that file as a dependency for some other file.

    If we remove the source, the Makefile will fail, and the entire build
    will fall over.

What happens if the source file is replaced with /* removed */ ?
that way, maybe no changes are needed in makefiles or config.