distcc vs GN
distcc
distcc.org
GN
gn.googlesource.comSide by side
| Figure | distcc | GN |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Build Automation Software | 8.2 (#10) | 7.9 (#15) |
| Purpose | distcc distributes builds of C, C++, Objective C and Objective C++ code across multiple networked machines. | GN is a meta-build system that generates build files for Ninja. |
| Support | The FAQ directs unanswered questions to the mailing list archives or the distcc mailing list. | Users can report bugs in the GN bug database and ask questions or follow development on the Chromium GN developers Google Group. |
| Use cases | The scenarios page describes use by developer workgroups, laptop users who offload builds to a faster home machine, and developers working on embedded or small computers. | GN is used as the build system for Chromium, Fuchsia, and related projects. |
Plans
In their own words
distcc
distcc is free software that distributes C, C++, Objective C, and Objective C++ builds across networked machines. It sends preprocessed source code to machines running the distccd daemon and a suitable compiler. The project says distributed builds should match local results and are usually faster than compiling locally. distcc works with GNU Make, SCons, and other parallel build tools. Machines with different processors or operating systems can participate when suitable cross-compilers are installed. GCC is fully supported; Intel icc is somewhat compatible, and the FAQ reports Sun’s proprietary compiler working in C mode. The project is developed on GNU/Linux and reports use on several Unix-like systems, Cygwin, and BSD/OS; listed platforms include Linux, macOS, self-hosted use, and Windows. TCP transmissions are neither encrypted nor signed, while SSH connections are authenticated and encrypted. The FAQ says distcc does not automatically find the best work distribution. Related tools cover server selection, control, cross-compilation, and monitoring.