http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=46501
--- Comment #2 from nightstrike <nightstrike at gmail dot com> 2010-11-16 17:48:32 UTC --- Configure: ../../../build/gcc/src/configure \ --target=i686-w64-mingw32 \ \ --prefix=/buildbot/mingw-w64/linux-x86_64-x86/build/build/root \ --with-sysroot=/buildbot/mingw-w64/linux-x86_64-x86/build/build/root \ --enable-languages=all,obj-c++ \ --enable-fully-dynamic-string --disable-multilib Build toolchain, install to $prefix. cd $prefix && tar cjf a.tbz2 * (or similar) cd /usr && tar xjf a.tbz2 (or equivalent) So what we are doing is essentially building a "relocatable" toolchain, installing it to some location, tarring up that location, and then extracting it wherever we want. The user referenced in the URL attached this PR wanted to extract it to /usr (thus causing the issue of the embedded directory "root"), but the eventual location you extract to doesn't affect the inclusion of directories outside of the gcc hierarchy. Observe: i686-w64-mingw32-gcc -print-search-dirs: install: /usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/ programs: =/usr/bin/../libexec/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/:/usr/bin/../libexec/gcc/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/../../../../i686-w64-mingw32/bin/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/../../../../i686-w64-mingw32/bin/ libraries: =/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/../../../../i686-w64-mingw32/lib/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/../../../../i686-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib/:/usr/bin/../../root/mingw/lib/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/:/usr/bin/../../root/mingw/lib/../lib/:/usr/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-w64-mingw32/4.6.0/../../../../i686-w64-mingw32/lib/:/usr/bin/../../root/mingw/lib/ You can see in there where there are references to "root". These are what are incorrect. Please let me know if that is enough information for you.