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Draft: Change default compiler name for Linux-CXX to CC

Vicente Bolea requested to merge vbolea/cmake:change-linux-default-cxx-compiler into master
  • OLD behavior: set default compiler name to c++
  • NEW behavior: set default compiler name to CC

Rationale:

Some niche OSS compilers in Linux sets the symlink CC to point to the CXX compiler. This contrast to the more general-use compilers such as LLVM and GNU compiler which uses the symlink named c++.

The presence of a niche OSS compiler implies a purpose of use as compared to a more general-use compiler such as GNU or LLVM since a general-use compiler might have been installed/avaiable by default while a niche compiler is very probably that it would have been explicitly enabled/installed which implies purpose.

In particular, this was needed since in NERSC Perlmutter when loading the Cray compiler suite it adds to the PATH the links cc for C and CC for C++. It does not add a binary named c++ as it is customary in other compiler vendors.

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