arm-linux-gcc vs arm-elf-gcc

Question

I am looking at uClinux system that builds the kernel with arm-linux-xxx, but builds the user apps with arm-elf-xxx.

If the apps are intended to run on linux, wouldn't it be better to build everything with arm-linux-xxx ?

Where does one set that option in the overall uClinux build config?

Answer 1

The names of the compilers don't necessarily mean anything. Depending on who built the compilers (and named them), you'll get differing results. Arguably, there is a correct name for a particular configuration, but some random compiled gcc may not be correct.

For the CodeSourcery compilers (likely the most correct names), see their platforms page for what their naming means.

Answer 2

You can run arm-linux-gcc -v and arm-elf-gcc -v to see some differences between these two versions of gcc (such as target architectures/languages).