Re: AC_PROG_CC_O

[Jim Meyering]

Derek Robert Price <address@hidden> wrote:
> Could someone tell me why this macro checks both $CC & cc for
> acceptance of -o and -c?
>
> The docs don't really specify and all I can see the macro itself doing
> is #defining NO_MINUS_C_MINUS_O.  I ask because a user configuring CVS
> on Solaris is complaining that he is set up with CC=gcc and the
> configure test is blocking because his Solaris license server is down
> and the `cc' execution blocks.

I think it was designed to be used mainly in GNU Make's configure.ac file.
>From the description, you get a hint of that:

  This macro was created for @acronym{GNU} Make to choose the
  default C compilation rule.

If both $CC and cc accept simultaneous use of -c and -o,
then GNU make enables that default rule.  Otherwise, it
uses the more portable (but less useful) `-c'-only rule.

It looks like CVS doesn't use `NO_MINUS_C_MINUS_O',
so I suggest you avoid using AC_PROG_CC_C_O.

Does anyone know of an application other than GNU make for
which AC_PROG_CC_C_O is useful?
How about an application that'd suffer if AC_PROG_CC_C_O
(or rather, a macro with a new name) checked only $CC?
If not, then we should consider deprecating it.