Whenever i
./configure
make
checkinstall

checkinstall creates a package-version--i386.tgz

Is that normal? or shouldn't it be i486?

P.s. my cpu is an AMD AthlonXP 2700+

Edit the file checkinstallrc.
............
# Where to place the installed document files
DOC_DIR=""

# Default architecture type (Leave it empty to allow auto-guessing)
ARCHITECTURE="i486"

# Default package type. Leave it empty to enable asking everytime
# S : Slackware
# R : RPM
...............

Got it???

IMHO, that chip is far beyond a 486

P.s. my cpu is an AMD AthlonXP 2700+

So :
ARCHITECTURE="i686"

But if you compile with CFLAGS="-O2 -march=athlon -msse -pipe"
then :
ARCHITECTURE="athlon"

hmm

thought athlon's were 786's

From info gcc :
The
choices for CPU-TYPE are `i386', `i486', `i586', `i686',
`pentium', `pentium-mmx', `pentiumpro', `pentium2', `pentium3',
`pentium4', `prescott', `nocona', `k6', `k6-2', `k6-3', `athlon',
`athlon-tbird', `athlon-4', `athlon-xp', `athlon-mp',
`winchip-c6', `winchip2' and `c3'.

for Intel 386 and AMD x86-64 Options

Hmm, so the choice is between i686, and Athlon. Will this make any difference in performance?

As I hear generally said, nothing visible to the naked eye.

But my eyes are covered with glasses... =]

Thanks guys, i'll choose i686 for now.

I would think binary generated will be a bit smaller (so a bit faster to load ). But you surelly won't notice any performance differences with optimizing only one executable.

Highly unlikely you will get any difference in performance. Read gcc manual to see what the diff is. The last time I checked (a year plus ago), NIL.

Changing the value of ARCHITECTURE in checkinstallrc, or with the --arch option, will have no effect on performance. If you read through checkinstall (it's just a script) you'll see that the only purpose of the ARCHITECTURE setting is in naming the slack-package (or *.rpm or *.deb) that checkinstall creates. Which makes sense when you consider that checkinstall is only invoked after the package (tarball) has been compiled.

If you want to optimize for your specific architecture, then, as Cedrik said, you have to pass the CFLAGS and/or CXXFLAGS options to gcc when running 'make'.

Enjoy!
--- Cerbere

Argh.. finally, my nightmare is over (at least for this part). I thought I have the wrong idea about checkinstall after reading the top posts.

Thanks Cerbere for conferring with my deduction.

Deduction: checkinstall create a Slackware friendly (specific) package from our COMPILED software