diff --git a/1984/anonymous/README.md b/1984/anonymous/README.md
index 8927050cd..73f0100e1 100644
--- a/1984/anonymous/README.md
+++ b/1984/anonymous/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ Anonymous
 
 	make all
 
+## To run:
+
+
+	./anonymous
+
 ## Judges' comments:
 
 The author was too embarrassed that he/she could write such trash, so I
@@ -16,10 +21,12 @@ This program is a unique variation on the age old "Hello, world"
 program.  What reads like a read may be written like a write!
 
 NOTE: this entry will probably not work under macOS with the Apple chips (Intel
-should be fine though we have no way to test this). Although it will compile
-cleanly it will not print anything out. More specifically, on modern systems one
-might need to specify `-m32` but the Apple chips which are arm64 based will not
-compile this entry:
+should be fine though we have no way to test this; if anyone can confirm whether
+this will work under macOS with an Intel chip we'd appreciate if you let us
+know). Although it will compile cleanly it will not print anything out. More
+specifically, on modern systems one might need to specify `-m32` (though this
+actually doesn't seem to be the case) but the Apple chips which are arm64 based
+will not compile this entry:
 
 
 	ld: unknown/unsupported architecture name for: -arch armv4t
diff --git a/1984/decot/Makefile b/1984/decot/Makefile
index a23ed982b..e88641dc8 100644
--- a/1984/decot/Makefile
+++ b/1984/decot/Makefile
@@ -185,8 +185,7 @@ all: ${DATA} ${TARGET}
 	supernova deep_magic magic charon pluto
 
 ${PROG}: ${PROG}.c
-	@echo "NOTE: This entry will not compile when using clang because it does not support"
-	@echo "      -traditional-cpp but it should compile with gcc."
+	@echo "NOTE: this entry requires a compiler that supports -traditional-cpp."
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $< -o $@ ${LIBS}
 
 # alternative executable
diff --git a/1984/decot/README.md b/1984/decot/README.md
index 94331324b..c648fadd9 100644
--- a/1984/decot/README.md
+++ b/1984/decot/README.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ clang does not support. We thank Yusuke Endoh for his patch which allows the
 entry to compile under gcc! Please be advised that gcc under macOS is actually
 clang so this will not compile with the default gcc under macOS.
 
+## To run:
+
+	./decot
+
 ## Judges' comments:
 
 
diff --git a/1984/laman/Makefile b/1984/laman/Makefile
index 6da09eb1c..9938157c3 100644
--- a/1984/laman/Makefile
+++ b/1984/laman/Makefile
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ all: data ${TARGET}
 	supernova deep_magic magic charon pluto
 
 ${PROG}: ${PROG}.c
+	@echo "NOTE: this entry will likely dump core without an arg and it will not work without"
+	@echo "a positive number."
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $< -o $@ ${LIBS}
 
 # alternative executable
diff --git a/1984/laman/README.md b/1984/laman/README.md
index ac15c5050..b9b5e389b 100644
--- a/1984/laman/README.md
+++ b/1984/laman/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ Mike Laman
 
         make all
 
+## To run:
+
+	./laman <positive number>
+
+
 ## Judges' comments:
 
 Some new compilers dislike lines 6 and 10 of the source, so we changed
diff --git a/1984/mullender/Makefile b/1984/mullender/Makefile
index 864de145b..2f22d45f0 100644
--- a/1984/mullender/Makefile
+++ b/1984/mullender/Makefile
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ all: ${DATA} ${TARGET}
 	supernova deep_magic magic charon pluto
 
 ${PROG}: ${PROG}.c
-	@echo "NOTE: This entry is likely to fail and/or dump core on modern computers."
+	@echo "NOTE: This entry is likely to fail and/or dump core on any computer other"
+	@echo "than a Vax-11 or pdp-11."
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $< -o $@ ${LIBS}
 
 # alternative executable
diff --git a/1984/mullender/README.md b/1984/mullender/README.md
index 2935d06f2..e1d882bd3 100644
--- a/1984/mullender/README.md
+++ b/1984/mullender/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ Sjoerd Mullender
 
 Robbert van Renesse
 
+## To build:
+
+	make all
+
+## To run:
+
+	./mullender
+
 ## Judges' comments:
 
 NOTE: This entry is likely to fail and/or dump core on modern computers.
diff --git a/2019/adamovsky/Makefile b/2019/adamovsky/Makefile
index 0e4a5be1b..5caa4dd62 100644
--- a/2019/adamovsky/Makefile
+++ b/2019/adamovsky/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/burton/Makefile b/2019/burton/Makefile
index 5a8cd15fc..c4013e00d 100644
--- a/2019/burton/Makefile
+++ b/2019/burton/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/diels-grabsch1/Makefile b/2019/diels-grabsch1/Makefile
index d7773597e..3228ae6c9 100644
--- a/2019/diels-grabsch1/Makefile
+++ b/2019/diels-grabsch1/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/diels-grabsch2/Makefile b/2019/diels-grabsch2/Makefile
index 708091954..b395efdf5 100644
--- a/2019/diels-grabsch2/Makefile
+++ b/2019/diels-grabsch2/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/dogon/Makefile b/2019/dogon/Makefile
index f69a3b3ec..64c053ed7 100644
--- a/2019/dogon/Makefile
+++ b/2019/dogon/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/endoh/Makefile b/2019/endoh/Makefile
index 96d7ced9a..8eb10e9d6 100644
--- a/2019/endoh/Makefile
+++ b/2019/endoh/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/giles/Makefile b/2019/giles/Makefile
index 1c94112b1..771d7a8c0 100644
--- a/2019/giles/Makefile
+++ b/2019/giles/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/lynn/Makefile b/2019/lynn/Makefile
index ed6a68a10..9dc75a820 100644
--- a/2019/lynn/Makefile
+++ b/2019/lynn/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/mills/Makefile b/2019/mills/Makefile
index d7a7cba6c..bb972a110 100644
--- a/2019/mills/Makefile
+++ b/2019/mills/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/poikola/Makefile b/2019/poikola/Makefile
index 8564a35b3..da6ac8076 100644
--- a/2019/poikola/Makefile
+++ b/2019/poikola/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/2019/yang/Makefile b/2019/yang/Makefile
index 708091954..b395efdf5 100644
--- a/2019/yang/Makefile
+++ b/2019/yang/Makefile
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln
diff --git a/var.mk b/var.mk
index 5e9a5f357..3a36581d2 100644
--- a/var.mk
+++ b/var.mk
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ KILL= kill
 KSH= ksh
 LAST= last
 LD= ld
-LESSECHO= lessecho
 LEX= len
 LINK= link
 LN= ln