Editing Distcc

{{lowercase|title=distcc}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = distcc
| author                 = Martin Pool
| developer              = Fergus Henderson
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}}                                             | latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}}
| programming language   = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| operating system       = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre                  = [[Compiler]]
| license                = [[GNU General Public License]]
| website                = {{url|https://distcc.org}}
}}
[[File:Distcc3 log and help.png|thumb|Distcc]]
In [[software development]], '''distcc''' is a tool for speeding up [[compiler|compilation]] of [[source code]] by using [[distributed computing]] over a [[computer network]]. With the right configuration, distcc can dramatically reduce a project's compilation time.<ref>{{cite web|author=Laurence Bonney |url=http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-distcc/index.html |title=Reduce compile time with distcc |publisher=IBM |date=2004-07-22 |access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref>

It is designed to work with the [[C (programming language)|C]] programming language (and its derivatives like [[C++]] and [[Objective-C]]) and to use [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] as its backend, though it provides varying degrees of compatibility with the [[Intel C++ Compiler]] and [[Sun Microsystems]]' [[Sun Studio Compiler Suite]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Martin Pool |url=http://distcc.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/doc/web/faq.html |title=distcc frequently asked questions |publisher=Distcc.googlecode.com |date=2007-02-23 |access-date=2009-10-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907163843/http://distcc.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/doc/web/faq.html |archive-date=2009-09-07 }}</ref> Distributed under the terms of the [[GNU General Public License]], distcc is [[free software]].

==Design==

distcc is designed to speed up compilation by taking advantage of unused processing power on other computers. A machine with distcc installed can send code to be compiled across the network to a computer which has the distccd [[daemon (computer software)|daemon]] and a compatible compiler installed.<ref name=drdobbs>{{cite web|author=Daniel Robbins |url=http://drdobbs.com/184401764 |title=Distcc & Distributed Computing |publisher=Dr.Dobb's |date=2004-02-01 |access-date=2011-08-24}}</ref>

distcc works as an agent for the compiler. A distcc daemon has to run on each of the participating machines. The originating machine invokes a [[preprocessor]] to handle header files, preprocessing directives (such as <code lang="C">#ifdef</code>) and the source files and sends the [[Translation unit (programming)|preprocessed source]] to other machines over the network via [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] either unencrypted or using [[Secure Shell|SSH]]. Remote machines compile those source files without any local dependencies (such as libraries, header files or macro definitions) to object files and send them back to the originator for further compilation.<ref name=linuxgazette>{{cite web|author=V. L. Simpson |url=http://linuxgazette.net/107/simpson.html |title=Speed Compiling with Distcc |publisher=linuxgazette.net |date=October 2004 |access-date=2011-08-25}}</ref>

distcc version 3 supports a mode (called ''pump mode'') in which included header files are sent to the remote machines,
so that preprocessing is also distributed.

==Related software==
distcc was an option for distributed builds in versions of Apple's [[Xcode]] development suite prior to 4.3, but has been removed.

=== Goma ===
Goma is a similar tool made by Google to replace distcc & ccache in compiling chromium.

=== Ccache ===
[[ccache]] is another tool aimed to reduce the compilation time by [[cache (computing)|caching]] the output from the same input source files. [[ccache]] can also use distcc as its backend, providing distributed compiling if it is not already cached by using the CCACHE_PREFIX environment variable.

=== Icecream ===
icecream was created by SUSE based on distcc. Like distcc, icecream takes compile jobs from a build and distributes it among remote machines allowing a parallel build. But unlike distcc, icecream uses a central server that dynamically schedules the compile jobs to the fastest free server.<ref>{{Citation|title=icecream: Distributed compiler with a central scheduler to share build load|date=2017-12-27|url=https://github.com/icecc/icecream|publisher=icecc|access-date=2017-12-27}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

* [[Compile farm]]
* [[FlowTracer]]
* [[IncrediBuild]]
* [[Electric Cloud]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://github.com/distcc}}
* [http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2008/08/distccs-pump-mode-new-design-for.html google distcc pump mode]
* [https://www.distcc.org/compared.html Comparison of related system]
* [http://dmucs.sourceforge.net/ DMUCS – a Distributed Multi-User Compilation System]
* [http://www.distcc-elb.com/ DistCC Enterprise Load Balancer]

[[Category:Compiling tools]]
[[Category:Free computer programming tools]]
[[Category:Cross-platform software]]
[[Category:Unix programming tools]]