---
title: C/C++ caching
description: Wrap cc, c++, gcc, clang, and clang-cl for local object-compile caching.
---

# C/C++ caching

kache can wrap C and C++ compilers in addition to rustc. This path is live for local object compiles and intentionally conservative: if kache cannot model an invocation safely, it passes through to the real compiler.

## Setup

For Make, CMake, autotools, or build scripts that honor `CC` / `CXX`:

```sh
export CC="kache cc"
export CXX="kache c++"
```

For Cargo build scripts that use the Rust `cc` crate, also declare `kache` as a known wrapper so the crate keeps the real compiler argument:

```sh
export CC_KNOWN_WRAPPER_CUSTOM="kache"
```

For clang-cl / MSVC-driver mode:

```bat
set "CC=kache clang-cl"
```

kache recognizes `cc`, `c++`, `gcc`, `g++`, `clang`, `clang++`, versioned variants like `gcc-13`, target-prefixed cross compilers like `arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc`, `clang-cl`, and `clang --driver-mode=cl`.

## What Is Cached

kache caches single-source object compiles:

```sh
cc -c src/foo.c -o build/foo.o
c++ -c src/foo.cpp -o build/foo.o
clang-cl -c foo.c -Fofoo.obj
```

On a hit, kache restores the object file and dep-info sidecar without re-running the compiler. The key includes:

- preprocessor output, so header edits invalidate the object
- compiler identity and resolved target/codegen flags
- source path normalization for gcc/clang
- CodeView path inputs for clang-cl debug compiles (`/Z7`, `-Z7`, `-g`)

For gcc/clang, keys are portable across worktrees when paths normalize cleanly. Use `KACHE_BASE_DIR` for checkout, container mount, or shared source/build prefixes the automatic detection cannot strip.

For clang-cl debug builds, keys are machine-local. clang-cl embeds CodeView paths in the `.obj` and does not honor `-ffile-prefix-map`, so kache keeps those paths literal instead of pretending the object is portable.

## Out-of-tree builds

kache supports out-of-tree C/C++ builds, including sibling CMake-style layouts:

```sh
cmake -S source -B build
cmake --build build
```

The cache key normalizes both source and build roots when kache can derive them from the compiler invocation. If generated sources, configured headers, or `__FILE__` paths point above those roots, set `KACHE_BASE_DIR` to the common parent so the same object can hit across fresh checkouts:

```sh
KACHE_BASE_DIR="$PWD" cmake --build build
```

## What Passes Through

These shapes compile normally but are not cached yet:

- link or whole-program steps
- multi-source or multi-arch invocations
- response files (`@file`)
- precompiled headers and modules
- coverage and split-DWARF
- clang-cl `-bigobj` and `-showIncludes`
- flags kache has not classified

C/C++ artifacts are local-only today. Remote sync and sharing apply to Rust artifacts, not `cc` objects.

## Diagnosing Passthroughs

Use `kache monitor` and open the Passthrough tab, or run with debug logging:

```sh
KACHE_LOG=kache=debug make
```

If a safe flag is missing from kache's built-in allow-list, opt it in locally:

```toml title=".kache.toml"
[cc]
extra_allowlist_flags = ["-ffunction-sections", "-fdata-sections"]
```

The flag is folded into the key verbatim. Avoid host-dependent values like `-march=native`, because the same spelling can produce different objects on different CPUs.
