LinuxQuestions.org - Build one Linux binary for many i386 platforms?

I would like to build one Linux binary set--binary apps and any associated dynamic libraries--for many Linux i386-based platforms (at least RHEL 3.x/4.x, Fedora Core 2,3,4,5, Debian 3.1, but would like sever more). I may still make multiple *package* distributions (eg, .rpm, .deb etc), but I would like to have one build process provide the binary-file-set input to these packages.

How does one effectively do this?

I see application distributions like these doing this:

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html
http://www.cmake.org/files/v2.2/cmak...6-linux.tar.gz

(I recall there being many others, I just don't have references to them at the moment.)

How is this done? Is it a careful management of std-library/kernel-library dependence? I'm sure it is, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about controlling this. Is there a reference I can read somewhere? Is it mostly a matter of constructing the "least common denominator" build systems from which to link the "most ubiquitous" library set? Do I need to build the libstdc-2.x/libstdc++-* on a Linux machine and compile to that?

I'm looking for more info besides "just find the dependencies and statically link" or "find the lowest-common-demoniator libraries". The question: how do I determine these libraries (I doubt that an ldd on a couple systems is going to tell me everything) and which revs (eg, what rev of these libs are going to work for most/all of these systems)? I'm also of the impression that it's best not to statically link kernel/libstdc* lib objects.

(I have posted a similar question before-- http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=362514 --but haven't found sufficient info yet, so am trying this new thread.)

I suspect this is a faq that's been answered somewhere; I have yet to find the answer.

My project is a C++-based one. Does this have a bearing on my library depedence? (eg, libstdc++...so?)

Thanks for any help,
-Matt