compile error

[CJ Tres]

I'm attempting to compile a plugin. The configure step exits without 
errors but make (run as root) tells me "no targets specified and no make 
file found"

Googling, I found the explanation for these errors:
`No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.'
`No targets. Stop.'
*The former means that you didn't provide any targets to be built on the 
command line, and make couldn't find any makefiles to read in.* The 
latter means that some makefile was found, but it didn't contain any 
default target and none was given on the command line. *GNU make has 
nothing to do in these situations. See section Arguments to Specify the 
Makefile.*

The Arguments page says:
"The way to specify the name of the makefile is with the `-f' or 
`--file' option (`--makefile' also works). For example, `-f altmake' 
says to use the file `altmake' as the makefile.

If you use the `-f' flag several times and follow each `-f' with an 
argument, all the specified files are used jointly as makefiles.

If you do not use the `-f' or `--file' flag, the default is to try 
`GNUmakefile', `makefile', and `Makefile', in that order, and use the 
first of these three which exists or can be made (see section Writing 
Makefiles)."

The plugin's directory has Makefile.am and Makefile.in.

I've never needed to specify a makefile with any previous compiles but 
specifying either of these listed gives other errors,
"No targets" and "missing separator", respectively.

At least one other person reported that the plugin compiled with no 
problems.

All necessary libraries, build-essential and dev-tools are installed and 
checking the README I also verified other files that are necessary are 
also are all present.

Am I missing something obvious?