Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SCons VS Distcc

Compare SCons VS Distcc and see what are their differences

SCons logo SCons

SCons is an Open Source software construction tool—that is, a next-generation build tool.

Distcc logo Distcc

GitHub is where people build software. More than 27 million people use GitHub to discover, fork, and contribute to over 75 million projects.
  • SCons Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21
  • Distcc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02

SCons features and specs

  • Python Integration
    SCons uses Python scripts for build configuration, which allows users to leverage the full power of Python’s capabilities, including libraries and modules, for more complex build scenarios.
  • Automatic Dependency Tracking
    SCons automatically tracks dependencies, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the project are rebuilt. This can lead to faster incremental builds and improved efficiency.
  • Cross-Platform
    SCons is cross-platform and works on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing a consistent build environment across different platforms.
  • Wide Range of Tools
    SCons supports a wide range of tools and compilers out-of-the-box, making it easier to configure build environments for different programming languages and technologies.
  • Extensibility
    The use of Python makes SCons highly extensible. Users can write custom build targets, scanners, and actions to suit specific project needs.

Possible disadvantages of SCons

  • Performance
    SCons can be slower than other build systems, especially for larger projects, due to the overhead of Python and its dependency scanning mechanisms.
  • Complexity
    While Python scripting offers flexibility, it can also add complexity to the build system, especially for users who are not familiar with Python programming.
  • Learning Curve
    Users new to SCons may face a steep learning curve, due to the need to understand both the build system itself and Python if they are not already familiar with it.
  • Limited IDE Integration
    SCons has limited integration with some popular IDEs compared to other build systems like CMake, which can affect the development experience for some users.
  • Smaller Community
    SCons has a smaller user base and community compared to more widely adopted build systems like CMake, which can result in fewer readily available resources, tutorials, and community support.

Distcc features and specs

  • Parallel Compilation
    Distcc allows distributed compilation of C, C++, and Objective-C code, enabling the use of multiple machines to speed up the build process significantly.
  • Scalability
    The system can easily be scaled by adding more machines, which allows for handling larger projects or reducing build times with minimal configuration effort.
  • Resource Utilization
    It optimizes the use of available computing resources by offloading tasks to less busy or more powerful machines, leading to more efficient compilation.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Distcc can be used on various operating systems, including Unix-like systems and Windows, offering flexibility in mixed-environment setups.
  • Ease of Integration
    As a compiler wrapper, Distcc can be integrated with existing build systems such as Make, CMake, and others with minimal changes needed.

Possible disadvantages of Distcc

  • Network Dependency
    Performance is heavily dependent on network reliability and speed, as source files and object files are transferred between client and server machines.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Setting up Distcc requires precise configuration, including managing different compiler versions across machines, which can be challenging in heterogeneous environments.
  • Security Concerns
    Without proper security measures, there is a risk of exposing sensitive data or code to untrusted machines, especially if Distcc is used over a public network.
  • Limited Error Handling
    Troubleshooting errors can be difficult because logs and errors might be scattered across different machines, making it hard to diagnose compilation issues.
  • Inefficiency for Small Builds
    For small codebases or projects with minimal compilation times, the overhead of distributing jobs may outweigh the benefits of parallel compilation.

SCons videos

Review Scons Bañados Dia %

Distcc videos

Quick and dirty Distcc setup tutorial: Part 1

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SCons and Distcc)
Front End Package Manager
JavaScript Package Manager
JS Build Tools
66 66%
34% 34
Continuous Integration
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SCons seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SCons mentions (16)

  • Modern CMake
    Scons is very easy and readable yet very powerful. It is Python based and extensible. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Tired of Makefiles
    Has anyone tried SCONS? Came across someone using it in a place where I worked earlier. Python-based make-like tool. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Jeeves – A Pythonic Alternative to GNU Make
    The most comprehensive make alternative in python I've seen is Scons (https://scons.org/) It would be worth to see how they tackles some of the challenges you're looking into. Blurb from the website: SCons is an Open Source software construction tool. Think of SCons as an improved, cross-platform substitute for the classic Make utility with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake and compiler caches... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Taskfile: A Modern Alternative to Makefile
    Https://scons.org/ It has cache facility to speed up re-builds. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • What was used to build C++ programs before Cmake?
    SCons never got popular enough to escape the niches it grew up in. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

Distcc mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Distcc yet. Tracking of Distcc recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SCons and Distcc, you can also consider the following products

GNU Make - GNU Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

CMake - CMake is an open-source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test and package software.

Ninja Build - Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.

SBT - SBT is a build tool for Scala, like Ant or Maven but with hieroglyphics.

Meson - Meson is an open source build system meant to be both extremely fast, and, even more importantly...

Leiningen - Leiningen: automating Clojure projects