Description

hugovk

opened on May 3, 2025

Issue body actions

Describe the enhancement or feature you would like

Using --config-cache with configure makes it much quicker: 3s cached vs 39s without on my machine.

Some example wasm commands include it, but shall we include it by default in the other relevant commands on that page, and the front page?

Describe alternatives you have considered

Status quo, builds are slower. Or only include it in the getting-started/setup-building page if there's some reason not to put in on the front page.

Additional context

Not everyone knows about this option: python/cpython#133027 (comment)

Reacted by Emma Smith, Tomas R., Shantanu, Gregory P. Smith, devdanzin, Petr Viktorin, Brian Schubert, Hood Chatham and Bartosz Sławecki

Activity

1. hugovk

   added

   type-featureAdditions; New content or section neededAdditions; New content or section needed

   type-bugEditing of existing content neededEditing of existing content needed

   topic-building python

   on May 3, 2025
2. encukou commented on Aug 6, 2025

   

   encukou

   on Aug 6, 2025

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   It's faster but also adds another thing that can go wrong.
   If config.cache is out of date (for example, you switch compilers or use different settings), it needs to be removed.

   Reacted by Kirill Podoprigora
3. corona10 commented on Aug 6, 2025

   

   corona10

   on Aug 6, 2025

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   I will find a contributor during PyCon KR sprint next week.
4. vstinner commented on Aug 6, 2025

   

   vstinner

   on Aug 6, 2025

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   I'm using a configure cache for many years and I never got any issue because of this cache. If the C compiler changes or if C flags (especially the optimization level) change, configure complains: I just delete the cache in this case. The error message is quite explicit and helpful.

   Reacted by Hood Chatham and Petr Viktorin
5. StanFromIreland

   added

   type-new content

   type-featureAdditions; New content or section neededAdditions; New content or section needed

   and removed

   type-featureAdditions; New content or section neededAdditions; New content or section needed

   type-bugEditing of existing content neededEditing of existing content needed

   type-feature

   on Mar 3, 2026
6. johnslavik

   added 8 commits that reference this issue on Apr 22, 2026

   pythongh-1547: Recommend --config-cache for configure

   22ddf94

   pythongh-1547: Also mention --cache-file=config.cache alias

   fa25256

   pythongh-1547: Recommend --config-cache for configure

   30a3410

   pythongh-1547: Also mention --cache-file=config.cache alias

   05ad04c

   pythongh-1547: Remove --config-cache from platform-specific configure…

   69463e6

   pythongh-1547: Restructure --config-cache as optional speedup tip

   7e8285f

   pythongh-1547: Use tip admonition for --config-cache

   f9a2af1

   pythongh-1547: Add --config-cache to macOS platform-specific configur…

   091f2fc
7. willingc

   added a commit that references this issue on Apr 25, 2026

   Recommend `--config-cache` for `./configure` (#1794)

   abdd4c6
8. willingc

   closed this as completedin #1794on Apr 25, 2026
9. StanFromIreland

   marked Add a sentence or two about the benefits of using configure cache #1115 as a duplicate of this issue on May 24, 2026

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