Re: --build and --host

[Akim Demaille]

| Hello,

Hi!  Sorry for not having answered before, I lost this thread in the
mass the others :(

| In case Henrique's posting wasn't clear, the question is this: is
| 
|       ./configure --build=foo ...
| 
| different from
| 
|       ./configure --build=foo --host=foo ...
| 
| or not?  In other words, does configure change its behaviour (e.g. go
| into "cross compiling" mode) as soon as --host is specified, even when
| the host type is the same as the build type?

They are different.  As I said, the definition of cross-compiling is
`--host is specified'.

This has been decided after one of those huge threads where tons of
different opinions were expressed.  Many people were representing
competent opinion, as they were related to compilers.  in particular,
I well remember someone pointed out that in some case, what looks like
native builds (because foo == foo) was indeed cross-compilation.
Something related to libraries IIRC.

The principal arguments were that (i) it makes the interface more
coherent (i.e., that should have been the original design), (ii), it
lets people exercise their package in cross-compilation situation
while using the regular compiler (by just passing --host).

It was decided to make this move at the same moment as the chain of
defaults (which was fairly incoherent) was fixed.  Because of the
chain of defaults, many bizarre chunks of code were left to assist
people making the transition.  But, as was to be expected, these
pieces of code augmented the confusion, as configure answers
incoherently to different stimuli :(

I strongly regret I did not summarize the arguments etc. and paste
them into `Moving to 2.50', but that was by lack of time.  What
results today, is that the debate is started again, and I'm basically,
roughly, the one who remains of that period.  I also regret we left so
many confusing backward compatible messages.  Finally, I'm extremely
sorry for the inconsistency of the documentation.  At the time we
revised it, we were quite proud to see how it was improved as opposed
to the previous situation, but we missed several needed updates, as
you point out below.  I plan to fix these.  Again, sorry.