Re: [gentoo-doc] Toolchain guide?

[Josh Saddler]

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Marc Blumentritt wrote:
> Hi,
>
> since some months I'm searching about informations, how Gentoo handles
> all packages which are needed for compilation and installation of source
> packages. Of course emerge handles all installations, but how does it
> handle the toolchain to not break it or system compatibility, if one
> major package of the toolchain is updated (like gcc)?
>
> I know that there is a gcc upgrade guide, but what I have in mind is a
> general discription of the toolchain, how Gentoo handles it through
> emerge and ebuilds, and what you have to think about, when you update
> toolchain packages. I think that Gentoo as a source based distribution
> needs something like this to explain to all users, which never heard of
> a toolchain before they switched to Gentoo (like me), what's all magic
> behind compiling all your packages on your own system and why this is so
> much better than using precompiled binarys like nearly everyone else.
>
> What to you all think?
> Marc Blumentritt

Well, on the Gentoo-specific side of things, you're probably looking for the
Gentoo Developer Handbook[1]. Or you might try project-specific[2] information
for whichever arch-specific toolchain you will be working with (they can be
funny beasts between different arches).

As far as things to think about when updating your toolchain, look in the forums
for threads by robmoss, a retired Gentoo toolchain maintainer. Also search for
early stage 1/3 guides (early 2005 and older) for more input from users and
developers about the toolchain upgrade/downgrade process.

I think the Gentoo base project folks might be able to give you some more good
links on related documentation available elsewhere, as they maintain gcc et al.
Anything else, like how autotools magic works (or doesn't), you should probably
check out the relevant gnu.org pages.

If you can put together a doc that's more Gentoo specific (ideally, less having
to do with Linux in general, IMHO), I'm sure it'd be welcomed. Otherwise, you
might consider submitting it to the knowledge base[3] for review.

Hope this helps.

[1] http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/devrel/handbook/handbook.xml
[2] http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/index.xml?showlevel=3
[3] http://kbase.gentoo.org
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