Host/build/target terminology

[matteodelabre]

I think we need to discuss what terminology to use to refer to (A) the system to which we’re shipping packages, i.e., the reMarkable OS; (B) the containerized system in which we’re building packages; (C) the host system that’s running the Docker daemon and toltecmk. Currently we call (A) the host system, (B) the build system, and (C) has no particular naming as far as I can see. Here are some other uses of those terms in other projects:

• OpenWrt calls (A) the target system, (B) the host system.
• GCC’s cross-compiling terminology also refers to (A) as target and (B) as host.
• Meson’s cross-compiling terminology refers to (A) as host and (B) as build.

From what I can see, host has basically no meaning since it’s used both for (A) and (B) in different projects. Should we keep the current terminology? or replace host with something less confusing?

[Eeems]

Maybe refer to rM as device?

[eli-schwartz]

• GCC’s cross-compiling terminology also refers to (A) as target and (B) as host.

• Meson’s cross-compiling terminology refers to (A) as host and (B) as build.

Meson inherited the GCC / autotools terminology. GCC lists this as:

There are three system names that the build knows about: the machine you are building on (build), the machine that you are building for (host), and the machine that GCC will produce code for (target).

Both are in agreement. (B) is the build machine (machine that is executing your compiler), (A) is the host machine (the machine the compiler emits code for).