> I agree but I still don't see what is not explained. I've re-read your > post from yesterday several times. Are you saying that we should > explain the process of cross-compilation? To me it is reasonably > obvious that if you use cross-compilation techniques then the system > can't use resources from the host architecture. > >
That one word "can't" actually makes the difference. When you put it that way it makes perfect sense why LFS would do something like that. > We don't ask that our users be programmers, but trying to explain *how* > cross-compilation "removes all dependency on the host system" seems to > be beyond the scope of the book. To really understand the > cross-compilation process, I think you need to be a programmer who > understands compiler construction. > > True, but only to a point. I think we should make an effort to at least explain the basics. It's a great topic to teach somebody. I know the book's scope would preclude us from going into all the nitty gritty detail because it would probably become a book onto itself. But that doesn't mean we can't add some. The "how" is too in depth. But the "why" is more important. > The temporary libraries are cross-compiled. Because a cross-compiler > cannot rely on anything from the host system, this removes any potential > contamination of the target system by lessening the chance of headers or > libraries from the host being incorporated into the new tools. > Cross-compilation also allows for the possibility of building both > 32-bit and 64-bit libraries on 64-bit capable hardware. > > Just about does it. How about the following to really drive the point home (and to explain that it's the way it is, not because we decided it): As a cross-compiler by its nature cannot rely on anything from its/the* host system, this method removes any potential contamination... * pick the better of the two words. I'm not sure which one is semantically more correct. It likely doesn't even matter much. Gerard -- http://linuxfromscratch.org/mailman/listinfo/lfs-dev FAQ: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/faq/ Unsubscribe: See the above information page
