[PATCH v5] Makefile: Add build time and compiler info string

[Alistair Francis]

On Mon, 2021-10-18 at 16:06 +0530, Anup Patel wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 3:58 PM Andreas Schwab <schwab at linux-m68k.org>
> wrote:
> > 
> > On Okt 18 2021, Anup Patel wrote:
> > 
> > > Users will have to figure-out/remember a fixed build date when
> > > using SOURCE_DATA_EPOCH for reproducible builds whereas
> > > users don't need to do anything when BUILD_INFO is not defined.
> > 
> > Users who care about reproducible builds already know how to set
> > SOURCE_DATA_EPOCH.
> > 
> 
> @Alistair Francis Are you okay removing BUILD_INFO and having it
> always enabled ?

I think it should be disabled by default.

We have not had a timestamp for awhile and it hasn't impacted people
too much.

The reproducible build documentation specifically says that timestamps
are best avoided (https://reproducible-builds.org/docs/timestamps/). I
think they sum it up well that it doesn't add much value, except for a
few specific circumstances.

So I don't see a good justification for enabling it by default, even
with SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH (good catch on the name chage, I missed that).

Alistair

> 
> Regards,
> Anup