distcc vs Meson

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.

Meson has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.