Re: [Boost-build] gcc toolset options

From: Rene Rivera (grafikrobot_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-11-25 18:10:42

Vladimir Prus wrote:
> Hi,
> the gcc toolset accepts the 'flavour' option, but does not make any use of it. 
> Why is it needed?   

Ah, what do you mean it doesn't use it? ... lines 90-103:

     local condition ;
     if $(flavor)
     {
         condition = [ common.check-init-parameters gcc
             : version $(version)
             : flavor $(flavor)
             ] ;
     }
     else
     {
         condition = [ common.check-init-parameters gcc
             : version $(version)
             ] ;
     }

> Also, it accepts the 'archiver' option, and has this comment: 
> 
>     #~ If it's not a system gcc install we should adjust the various
>     #~ programs as needed to prefer using the install specific versions.
>     #~ This is essential for correct use of MinGW and for cross-compiling.
> 
> This is obviously important if there's no system 'ar'. However, is this 
> important when there is system 'ar' already? I don't think the 'ar' tool does 
> any thing that is target specific. Am I wrong?

I don't know if you are wrong or not :-\ But it makes sense that if a 
version specific install of gcc has its own 'ar' then the person 
installing it means for it to be used regardless of whether it does 
anything different than the system 'ar'. More technically 'ar' is meant 
to produce files that the linker can consume. If the linker is specific 
to the install, for example for cross-compilers, then it's essential 
that it use the cross-compile specific version as it *could* do 
something specific for the target platform.

-- 
-- Grafik - Don't Assume Anything
-- Redshift Software, Inc. - http://redshift-software.com
-- rrivera/acm.org - grafik/redshift-software.com
-- 102708583/icq - grafikrobot/aim - grafikrobot/yahoo