configure.info: Host and Target

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Host and Target

   When building cross compilation tools, there are two different
systems involved: the system on which the tools will run, and the
system for which the tools generate code.
   The system on which the tools will run is called the "host" system.
   The system for which the tools generate code is called the "target"
system.
   For example, suppose you have a compiler which runs on a GNU/Linux
system and generates ELF programs for a MIPS embedded system.  In this
case the GNU/Linux system is the host, and the MIPS ELF system is the
target.  Such a compiler could be called a GNU/Linux cross MIPS ELF
compiler, or, equivalently, a `i386-linux-gnu' cross `mips-elf'
compiler.
   Naturally, most programs are not cross compilation tools.  For those
programs, it does not make sense to speak of a target.  It only makes
sense to speak of a target for tools like `gcc' or the `binutils' which
actually produce running code.  For example, it does not make sense to
speak of the target of a tool like `bison' or `make'.
   Most cross compilation tools can also serve as native tools.  For a
native compilation tool, it is still meaningful to speak of a target.
For a native tool, the target is the same as the host.  For example, for
a GNU/Linux native compiler, the host is GNU/Linux, and the target is
also GNU/Linux.