OK, I thought I would try one last update and see if it gets me anywhere. I've created a very small test case. This should not build anything, it just tests the path settings. Also I've setup the path so there are no spaces. The is the smallest, simplest test case I could come up with.

This makefile will set the path, echo the path, run avr-gcc -v with the full path specified and then try to run it without the full path specified. It should find avr-gcc in the path on the second try, but does not.

makefile

TOOLCHAIN := /Users/justinzaun/Desktop/AVRBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain


PATH := ${TOOLCHAIN}/bin:${PATH}
export PATH


all:
    @echo ${PATH}
    @echo --------
    "${TOOLCHAIN}/bin/avr-gcc" -v
    @echo --------
    avr-gcc -v

output

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ make
/Users/justinzaun/Desktop/AVRBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
--------
"/Users/justinzaun/Desktop/AVRBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc" -v
Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=/Users/justinzaun/Desktop/AVRBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc
COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/Users/justinzaun/Desktop/AVRBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/../libexec/gcc/avr/4.6.3/lto-wrapper
Target: avr
Configured with: /Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../gcc/configure --prefix=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --exec-prefix=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --datadir=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --target=avr --enable-languages=c,objc,c++ --disable-libssp --disable-lto --disable-nls --disable-libgomp --disable-gdbtk --disable-threads --enable-poison-system-directories
Thread model: single
gcc version 4.6.3 (GCC) 
--------
avr-gcc -v
make: avr-gcc: No such file or directory
make: *** [all] Error 1
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ 

Original Question

I'm trying to set the path from within the makefile. I can't seem to do this on OSX. Setting the path with PATH := /new/bin/:$(PATH) does not work. See my makefile below.

makefile

PROJECTNAME = Untitled

# Name of target controller
# (e.g. 'at90s8515', see the available avr-gcc mmcu
# options for possible values)
MCU = atmega640

# id to use with programmer
# default: PROGRAMMER_MCU=$(MCU)
# In case the programer used, e.g avrdude, doesn't
# accept the same MCU name as avr-gcc (for example
# for ATmega8s, avr-gcc expects 'atmega8' and 
# avrdude requires 'm8')
PROGRAMMER_MCU = $(MCU)

# Source files
# List C/C++/Assembly source files:
# (list all files to compile, e.g. 'a.c b.cpp as.S'):
# Use .cc, .cpp or .C suffix for C++ files, use .S
# (NOT .s !!!) for assembly source code files.
PRJSRC = main.c   \
         utils.c

# additional includes (e.g. -I/path/to/mydir)
INC = 

# libraries to link in (e.g. -lmylib)
LIBS = 

# Optimization level,
# use s (size opt), 1, 2, 3 or 0 (off)
OPTLEVEL = s



### You should not have to touch anything below this line ###



PATH := /Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:$(PATH)
CPATH := /Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/include


# HEXFORMAT -- format for .hex file output
HEXFORMAT = ihex

# compiler
CFLAGS = -I. $(INC) -g -mmcu=$(MCU) -O$(OPTLEVEL)  \
         -fpack-struct -fshort-enums               \
         -funsigned-bitfields -funsigned-char      \
         -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes                 \
         -Wa,-ahlms=$(firstword                    \
                    $(filter %.lst, $(<:.c=.lst)))

# c++ specific flags
CPPFLAGS = -fno-exceptions                 \
           -Wa,-ahlms=$(firstword          \
           $(filter %.lst, $(<:.cpp=.lst)) \
           $(filter %.lst, $(<:.cc=.lst))  \
           $(filter %.lst, $(<:.C=.lst)))

# assembler
ASMFLAGS = -I. $(INC) -mmcu=$(MCU)          \
           -x assembler-with-cpp            \
           -Wa,-gstabs,-ahlms=$(firstword   \
           $(<:.S=.lst) $(<.s=.lst))

# linker
LDFLAGS = -Wl,-Map,$(TRG).map -mmcu=$(MCU)  \
          -lm $(LIBS)

##### executables ####
CC=avr-gcc
OBJCOPY=avr-objcopy
OBJDUMP=avr-objdump
SIZE=avr-size
AVRDUDE=avrdude
REMOVE=rm -f

##### automatic target names ####
TRG=$(PROJECTNAME).out
DUMPTRG=$(PROJECTNAME).s

HEXROMTRG=$(PROJECTNAME).hex
HEXTRG=$(HEXROMTRG) $(PROJECTNAME).ee.hex

# Start by splitting source files by type
#  C++
CPPFILES=$(filter %.cpp, $(PRJSRC))
CCFILES=$(filter %.cc, $(PRJSRC))
BIGCFILES=$(filter %.C, $(PRJSRC))
#  C
CFILES=$(filter %.c, $(PRJSRC))
#  Assembly
ASMFILES=$(filter %.S, $(PRJSRC))

# List all object files we need to create
OBJDEPS=$(CFILES:.c=.o)     \
        $(CPPFILES:.cpp=.o) \
        $(BIGCFILES:.C=.o)  \
        $(CCFILES:.cc=.o)   \
        $(ASMFILES:.S=.o)

# Define all lst files.
LST=$(filter %.lst, $(OBJDEPS:.o=.lst))

# All the possible generated assembly
# files (.s files)
GENASMFILES=$(filter %.s, $(OBJDEPS:.o=.s))

.SUFFIXES : .c .cc .cpp .C .o .out .s .S \
            .hex .ee.hex .h .hh .hpp

# Make targets:
# all, disasm, stats, hex, writeflash/install, clean
all: $(TRG)

$(TRG): $(OBJDEPS)
    $(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(TRG) $(OBJDEPS)

#### Generating assembly ####
# asm from C
%.s: %.c
    $(CC) -S $(CFLAGS) $< -o $@

# asm from (hand coded) asm
%.s: %.S
    $(CC) -S $(ASMFLAGS) $< > $@

# asm from C++
.cpp.s .cc.s .C.s :
    $(CC) -S $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@

#### Generating object files ####
# object from C
.c.o:
    $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@

# object from C++ (.cc, .cpp, .C files)
.cc.o .cpp.o .C.o :
    $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@

# object from asm
.S.o :
    $(CC) $(ASMFLAGS) -c $< -o $@

#### Generating hex files ####
# hex files from elf
.out.hex:
    $(OBJCOPY) -j .text                    \
               -j .data                    \
               -O $(HEXFORMAT) $< $@

.out.ee.hex:
    $(OBJCOPY) -j .eeprom                     \
               --change-section-lma .eeprom=0 \
               -O $(HEXFORMAT) $< $@

#### Information ####
info:
    @echo PATH:
    @echo "$(PATH)"
    $(CC) -v
    which $(CC)

#### Cleanup ####
clean:
    $(REMOVE) $(TRG) $(TRG).map $(DUMPTRG)
    $(REMOVE) $(OBJDEPS)
    $(REMOVE) $(LST)
    $(REMOVE) $(GENASMFILES)
    $(REMOVE) $(HEXTRG)

error

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ make
avr-gcc -I.  -g -mmcu=atmega640 -Os -fpack-struct -fshort-enums -funsigned-bitfields -funsigned-char -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wa,-ahlms=main.lst -c main.c -o main.o
make: avr-gcc: No such file or directory
make: *** [main.o] Error 1
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$

If I change my CC= to include the full path:

CC=/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc

then it finds it, but this doesn't seem the correct way to do things. For instance its trying to use the system as not the one in the correct path.

update - Just to be sure, I'm adding the output of my ls command too so everyone knows the file exist. Also I've added a make info target to the makefile and showing that output as well.

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ ls /Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin
ar      avr-elfedit avr-man     avr-strip   objcopy
as      avr-g++     avr-nm      avrdude     objdump
avr-addr2line   avr-gcc     avr-objcopy c++     ranlib
avr-ar      avr-gcc-4.6.3   avr-objdump g++     strip
avr-as      avr-gcov    avr-ranlib  gcc
avr-c++     avr-gprof   avr-readelf ld
avr-c++filt avr-ld      avr-size    ld.bfd
avr-cpp     avr-ld.bfd  avr-strings nm
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ 

Output of make info with the \ in my path

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ make info
PATH:
/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
avr-gcc -v
make: avr-gcc: No such file or directory
make: *** [info] Error 1
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ 

Output of make info with the \ not in my path

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ make info
PATH:
/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
avr-gcc -v
make: avr-gcc: No such file or directory
make: *** [info] Error 1
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ 

update - When I have my CC set to include the full path as described above, this is the result of make info.

JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$ make info
PATH:
/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin
/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc -v
Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc
COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/../libexec/gcc/avr/4.6.3/lto-wrapper
Target: avr
Configured with: /Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../gcc/configure --prefix=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --exec-prefix=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --datadir=/Users/justinzaun/Development/AVRBuilder/Packages/gccobj/../build/ --target=avr --enable-languages=c,objc,c++ --disable-libssp --disable-lto --disable-nls --disable-libgomp --disable-gdbtk --disable-threads --enable-poison-system-directories
Thread model: single
gcc version 4.6.3 (GCC) 
which /Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR\ Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc
/Users/justinzaun/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AVR_Builder-gxiykwiwjywvoagykxvmotvncbyd/Build/Products/Debug/AVR Builder.app/Contents/Resources/avrchain/bin/avr-gcc
JUSTINs-MacBook-Air:Untitled justinzaun$