# Guide to building binutils-2.9.1.0.19a for Slackware

tar xzvf binutils-2.9.1.0.19a.tar.gz
cd binutils-2.9.1.0.19a

# Build Linux ELF format binutils:
./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-shared i386-pc-linux-gnulibc1
make CFLAGS=-O2 LDFLAGS=-s

# Build Linux a.out format binutils:
#./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-shared i386-pc-linux-gnuaout
#make CFLAGS=-O2 LDFLAGS=-s

# Build i386 COFF format binutils:
#./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-shared i386-pc-linux-gnucoff
#make CFLAGS=-O2 LDFLAGS=-s

# OK, now follow the general structure of the binutils.tgz package (which
# follows H.J. Lu's original binary package structure).  The idea is to
# put things into (for example) /usr/ix86-linux/ instead of in the default
# i386-pc-linux-gnulibc1.  To account for this, the ldscripts need to be
# patched with the new path.  There are a few other rearrangements -- refer
# to the existing binutils.tgz as a guide for things like the symlinks under
# /usr/ix86-linux/bin/.

# As an obvious reference to how the binutils package was compiled, we'll
# make symlinks in usr:  i386-pc-linux-gnulibc1, i386-pc-linux-gnuaout,
# and i386-pc-linux-gnucoff.  With the path changed in the ldscripts these
# links are not strictly required, however.