What `--` is on MacOS?

Dmitriano

What does -- mean in the command line on MacOS?

What is the difference between

./configure -- -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES="x86_64;arm64" -DQT_NO_EXCEPTIONS=1

and

./configure -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES="x86_64;arm64" -DQT_NO_EXCEPTIONS=1

?

I did some experimentation and was able to run the following command, but I am not sure if it is correct:

./configure -c++std c++20 -opensource -confirm-license -no-openssl -securetransport \
  -skip qt3d -skip qt5compat -skip qtactiveqt -skip qtcharts -skip qtcoap -skip qtconnectivity \
  -skip qtdatavis3d -skip qtdoc -skip qtlottie -skip qtmqtt -skip qtnetworkauth -skip qtopcua \
  -skip qtserialport -skip qtpositioning -skip qtquicktimeline -skip qtquick3d -skip qtremoteobjects \
  -skip qtscxml -skip qtsensors -skip qtserialbus -skip qtvirtualkeyboard -skip qtwayland -skip qtwebsockets \
  -skip qtwebchannel -skip qtwebengine -skip qtwebview \
  -- -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES="x86_64;arm64" -DQT_NO_EXCEPTIONS=1

at least, it displayed

Building for: macx-clang (x86_64;arm64), x86_64 features: cx16 mmx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 sse4.1)

in the compiler summary, but it also displayed the warning:

CMake Warning:
  Manually-specified variables were not used by the project:

    QT_NO_EXCEPTIONS

so as far as I can only guess, I probably move -DQT_NO_EXCEPTIONS=1 before --, can it be true?

SGaist

Hi,

AFAIK, it has nothing to do with macOS.

Usually the -- means that what follows will by passed as is to a process started by the script / command / other that you are invoking.