@@ -61,20 +61,28 @@
 	*.64) bin_fmt=elf64;;
 	*) say "cannot determine correct binary format to use for target $target"; exit 1;;
 esac
 
-# first, we establish the
-# parameters of the build
-has cc && _cc=cc
-has clang && _cc=clang 
-has gcc && _cc=gcc # prefer gcc
-cc=${cc:-$_cc}
-has m4 && _m4=m4
-m4=${m4:-$_m4}
-has nasm && asm=nasm
-has yasm && asm=yasm # prefer yasm
-export cc
-export m4
+# first, we establish the parameters of the build
+
+# detect C compiler to use
+	has cc && _cc=cc
+	has clang && _cc=clang 
+	has gcc && _cc=gcc # prefer gcc
+	export cc=${cc:-$_cc}
+
+# detect m4 implementation to use. TODO: determine if BSD m4
+# is compatible with our macro sources, otherwise we'll need
+# to fix that or make gm4 a dep if we can't
+	has m4 && _m4=m4
+	export m4=${m4:-$_m4}
+
+# pick the assembler to use. long-term, we need to rewrite
+# the x86* sources to just use gas, since gas is the only
+# OSS assembler that seems to exist for other arches
+	has nasm && asm=nasm
+	has yasm && asm=yasm # prefer yasm
+
 export gen=${gen:-gen}
 library=${library:-static} # {static|shared|both}
 export verbose=${verbose:-quiet} # {no|quiet|loud}
 
@@ -94,10 +102,10 @@
 	        build_shared_library=yes;;
 esac
 
 check cc "your C compiler of choice"
-check asm "an assembler that takes Intel syntax and nasm-style-macros"
-check m4 "the path to your m4 installation"
+check asm "an assembler that takes Intel syntax and nasm-style macros"
+check m4 "the path to your m4 binary"
 
 export build=$(global/build-id.sh)
 
 if test "$p_headers_errno" = ""; then
@@ -275,9 +283,9 @@
 	report ranlib $to/libk.a
 fi
 
 if test $build_shared_library == yes; then
-	report ld -r ${rt_objects[@]} -o $to/boot.o
+	report ld -r ${rt_objects[@]} -o $to/kboot.o
 	report ld -shared ${fn_objects[@]} ${data_objects[@]} -o $to/libk.so
 fi
 
 # fifth pass: compile the executable tools
@@ -287,9 +295,9 @@
 	for exe in $(scan mod/$mod '*.exe.c'); do
 		base="$(basename $exe)"
 		dest="$to/$mod.${base%%.exe.c}"
 		if test $build_shared_library == yes; then
-			comp_c "$to/boot.o $exe" "$dest" -lk
+			comp_c "$to/kboot.o $exe" "$dest" -lk
 		else
 			comp_c "$exe" "$dest" -lk
 		fi
 	done