configure.info: Configuration Name Definition

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Configuration Name Definition

   This is a string of the form CPU-MANUFACTURER-OPERATING_SYSTEM.  In
some cases, this is extended to a four part form:
CPU-MANUFACTURER-KERNEL-OPERATING_SYSTEM.
   When using a configuration name in a configure option, it is normally
not necessary to specify an entire name.  In particular, the
MANUFACTURER field is often omitted, leading to strings such as
`i386-linux' or `sparc-sunos'.  The shell script `config.sub' will
translate these shortened strings into the canonical form.  autoconf
will arrange for `config.sub' to be run automatically when it is needed.
   The fields of a configuration name are as follows:
CPU
     The type of processor.  This is typically something like `i386' or
     `sparc'.  More specific variants are used as well, such as
     `mipsel' to indicate a little endian MIPS processor.
MANUFACTURER
     A somewhat freeform field which indicates the manufacturer of the
     system.  This is often simply `unknown'.  Other common strings are
     `pc' for an IBM PC compatible system, or the name of a workstation
     vendor, such as `sun'.
OPERATING_SYSTEM
     The name of the operating system which is run on the system.  This
     will be something like `solaris2.5' or `irix6.3'.  There is no
     particular restriction on the version number, and strings like
     `aix4.1.4.0' are seen.  For an embedded system, which has no
     operating system, this field normally indicates the type of object
     file format, such as `elf' or `coff'.
KERNEL
     This is used mainly for GNU/Linux.  A typical GNU/Linux
     configuration name is `i586-pc-linux-gnulibc1'.  In this case the
     kernel, `linux', is separated from the operating system,
     `gnulibc1'.
   The shell script `config.guess' will normally print the correct
configuration name for the system on which it is run.  It does by
running `uname' and by examining other characteristics of the system.
   Because `config.guess' can normally determine the configuration name
for a machine, it is normally only necessary to specify a configuration
name when building a cross-compiler or when building using a
cross-compiler.