GCC

build: The machine GCC is built on.

host: The machine that GCC will be run on

target: The machine that the built GCC (on the host) will produce executables for.

native: build == host == target

cross: build == host, host != target

canadian: build != host, host != target, target != build

host-x-host / crossed native / cross-built native: host == target, build != target

The configure option --target=abc-def creates executables whose names are prependes with abc-def.

GCC treats /usr/local/include and /usr/local/lib specially: they're searched before the system directories.

gcc allows to create a preprocessed file with the -E option:

gcc -E foo.c > foo.i

GCC Optimization, GCC options

Creating a shared and static library with the gnu compiler (gcc)

assembler

object files

cc1, the compiler proper.