lfs/chapter05/binutils-exp.xml

<sect2>
<title>Command explanations</title>

<para><userinput>mkdir ../binutils-build:</userinput> The installation
instructions for Binutils recommend creating a separate build directory
instead of compiling the package inside the source tree. So, we create a
binutils-build directory and work from there.</para>

<para><userinput>--disable-nls:</userinput> This option disabled
internationalization (also known as i18n). We don't need this for our
static programs and nls often causes problems when you're linking
statically.</para>

<para><userinput>LDFLAGS=-all-static:</userinput> Setting the variable LDFLAGS
to the value -all-static causes binutils to be linked statically.</para>

<para><userinput>tooldir=$LFS/usr:</userinput> Normally, the tooldir (the
directory where the executables from binutils end up in) is set to
$(exec_prefix)/$(target_alias) which expands into, for example, 
/usr/i686-pc-linux-gnu. Since we only build for our own system, we don't
need this target specific directory in $LFS/usr. That setup would be used
if the system was used to cross-compile (for example 
compiling a package on the Intel machine that generates code that can be
executed on Apple PowerPC machines).</para>

</sect2>