Re: [sr #110846] cross-compilation is not entered when build_alias and host_alias are the same

On 2023-12-07 21:28, Zack Weinberg wrote:
> Follow-up Comment #1, sr#110846 (group autoconf):
> 
> We regret the delay in responding to this bug report.
> 
> I believe this is the same as #110348.  The proposal there would make it so
> you could force a configure script into cross-compilation mode, even when the
> build and host triples are the same and the cross-compiled executables can run
> on the build system, by specifying --host and *not* --build.  Would that work
> for you?  (Please reply in #110348, I'm going to close this report.)
> 
> This will not happen for 2.72 but hopefully will for the release after that.

You can already force cross-compilation mode today by running

   ./configure cross_compiling=yes

I think it would be better to simply document this more clearly. 
Changing the behaviour of --host (without --build) to force cross 
compilation mode seems ill-advised.  As I recall, this was tried before 
some years back and there were complaints by people cross-building with 
mingw on GNU/Linux build systems, who actually wanted the runtime tests 
to be done.

I think the current wording in the manual (which de-emphasized the 
recommendation to always specify --build and --host together) came as a 
result of those complaints, and it explicitly mentions the mingw use case.

Cheers,
   Nick