diff --git a/MMakefile b/MMakefile
index ac2d21e77c8ae096c75a955c8077dd1b8b2c2227..18b7c9942e7377fb6e8216ae0e75695e95582c96 100644
--- a/MMakefile
+++ b/MMakefile
@@ -12,29 +12,54 @@ DIR_LIB = lib
 
 BIN_FILES := $(wildcard bin/mentat-*.py)
 
+#
+# Color code definitions for colored terminal output
+# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5947742/how-to-change-the-output-color-of-echo-in-linux
+#
+RED=\033[0;31m
+GREEN=\033[0;32m
+ORANGE=\033[0;33m
+NC=\033[0m
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 all: help
 
 check: pyflakes pylint test
 
-
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 help:
-	$(info List of possible make targets:)
-	$(info   )
-	$(info   * all: alias for help, you have to pick a target [default])
-	$(info   * help: print this help and exit)
-	$(info   * docs: generate all local project documentation)
-	$(info      = docs-sync)
-	$(info      = docs-sphinx)
-	$(info   * check: perform extensive code checking)
-	$(info      = pyflakes: check source code with pyflakes)
-	$(info         - pyflakes-bin)
-	$(info      = pylint: check source code with pylint)
-	$(info         - pylint-bin)
-	$(info      = test: run unit tests with nosetest)
-	$(info   )
+#@echo -e "\033[0;32m [OK] \033[0m       \033[0;33m Compiling:\033[0m" $<
+
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "${RED}LIST OF MAKE TARGETS:${NC}"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "  * ${GREEN}all${NC}: alias for help, you have to pick a target [default]"
+	@echo "  * ${GREEN}help${NC}: print this help and exit"
+	@echo "  * ${GREEN}deps${NC}: install various dependencies"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}deps-python${NC}: install Python dependencies with pip3"
+	@echo "  * ${GREEN}docs${NC}: generate local project documentation"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}docs-sync${NC}: synchronize documentation from submodules"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}docs-sphinx${NC}: generate local project documentation "
+	@echo "  * ${GREEN}check${NC}: perform extensive code checking"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}pyflakes${NC}: check source code with pyflakes"
+	@echo "        - pyflakes-bin"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}pylint${NC}: check source code with pylint"
+	@echo "        - pylint-bin"
+	@echo "     = ${ORANGE}test${NC}: run unit tests with nosetest"
+	@echo ""
+
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+deps: deps-python
+
+deps-python: FORCE
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Installing Python dependencies ***${NC}\n"
+	@pip3 install -r conf/requirements.pip --upgrade
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -43,17 +68,17 @@ help:
 docs: docs-sync docs-sphinx
 
 docs-sync: FORCE
-	echo "*** Synchronizing documentation source code from submodules ***"
-	rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pyzenkit/doc/_doclib/api_*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
-	rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pyzenkit/doc/_doclib/_inc*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
-	rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pynspect/doc/_doclib/api_*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
-	#find ./ -type f -name *.pyc -exec rm -f {} \;
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Synchronizing documentation source code from submodules ***${NC}\n"
+	@rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pyzenkit/doc/_doclib/api_*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
+	@rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pyzenkit/doc/_doclib/_inc*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
+	@rsync -r --progress --archive --update --delete --force ./submodules/pynspect/doc/_doclib/api_*.rst ./doc/sphinx/_doclib/
+	@#find ./ -type f -name *.pyc -exec rm -f {} \;
 
 docs-sphinx: FORCE
-	echo "*** Generating project documentation ***"
-	#cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make clean
-	#cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make apidoc
-	cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make html
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Generating project documentation ***${NC}\n"
+	@#cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make clean
+	@#cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make apidoc
+	@cd $(DIR_DOC)/sphinx && make html
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -62,18 +87,18 @@ docs-sphinx: FORCE
 pyflakes: pyflakes-bin
 
 pyflakes-bin: $(DIR_BIN)/mentat-*.py
-	echo "*** Checking code with pyflakes ***"
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Checking code with pyflakes ***${NC}\n"
 	PYTHONPATH=$(DIR_LIB) python3 -m pyflakes $(DIR_BIN)/mentat-*.py
 
 
 pylint: pylint-bin
 
 pylint-bin: $(DIR_BIN)/mentat-*.py
-	echo "*** Checking code with pylint ***"
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Checking code with pylint ***${NC}\n"
 	PYTHONPATH=$(DIR_LIB) python3 -m pylint --rcfile .pylintrc-bin $(DIR_BIN)
 
 test:
-	echo "*** Checking code with nosetests ***"
+	@echo "\n${GREEN}*** Checking code with nosetests ***${NC}\n"
 	nosetests $(DIR_LIB)