Changing Build Options

[Steven Johnson]

How does one change the build options used when compiling using
Autoconf/Automake.

For Example,

I am trying to re-compile NEWLIB with the RTEMS Patches. I Run:

./configure --target=powerpc-rtems --prefix=/opt/test
make all install

This works, no problem. 

However, the options used to compile newlib are:
"-g -O2 -w -wall -msoft-float -mrelocatable-lib -mno-eabi
-mstrict-align"

If I wanted to change/add/remove from the option (for example): 
"-mcpu=860 -mno-bit-align -meabi -memb -msdata=eavi"

How would i do it?

Ive tried changing configure.host with no luck. Further there are
options used in the build that I can find no source for, such as
"-msoft-float". Where does this come from? How is it added to the make
files? (BTW. I know that --enable-newlib_hw_float will turn it off, but
i can't find where or how.)

I know this is probably obvious to most of you, but I am having a real
problem understanding why building a library has to be so complicated?

Is there anyway when running configure or make, that the C flags can be
set to something arbitrary and not what configure has decided are best
for me. (as I don't like it's choices.)

Anyway, if someone can point out how i change these compile flags I will
name my first born after them.


Steven Johnson.