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cross-compile
Building software on one kind of machine to run on a different kind.
Normally you compile on the same architecture you'll run on, but cross-compiling produces binaries for a different target — for example, building ARM64 executables while working on a macOS machine. It relies on a toolchain that knows the target's instruction set and conventions. It is essential when the target can't easily build for itself, like embedded systems or an OS under construction.
See also
- CMakeA build system generator that turns one project description into builds for many compilers and platforms.
- calling conventionThe agreed rulebook for how one function passes arguments to another and gets a result back.