gcc compiling for optimization
gcc -o
excerpt from http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.3.0/gcc/Optimize-Options.html#Optimize-Options
-O -O1 Optimize. Optimizing compilation takes somewhat more time, and a lot more memory for a large function.
With -O, the compiler tries to reduce code size and execution time, without performing any optimizations that take a great deal of compilation time.
-O turns on the following optimization flags:
-fauto-inc-dec
-fcprop-registers
-fdce
-fdefer-pop
-fdelayed-branch
-fdse
-fguess-branch-probability
-fif-conversion2
-fif-conversion
-finline-small-functions
-fipa-pure-const
-fipa-reference
-fmerge-constants
-fsplit-wide-types
-ftree-ccp
-ftree-ch
-ftree-copyrename
-ftree-dce
-ftree-dominator-opts
-ftree-dse
-ftree-fre
-ftree-sra
-ftree-ter
-funit-at-a-time
-O2 Optimize even more. GCC performs nearly all supported optimizations that do not involve a space-speed tradeoff. The compiler does not perform loop unrolling or function inlining when you specify -O2. As compared to -O, this option increases both compilation time and the performance of the generated code.
-O2 turns on all optimization flags specified by -O. It also turns on the following optimization flags:
-fthread-jumps
-falign-functions -falign-jumps
-falign-loops -falign-labels
-fcaller-saves
-fcrossjumping
-fcse-follow-jumps -fcse-skip-blocks
-fdelete-null-pointer-checks
-fexpensive-optimizations
-fgcse -fgcse-lm
-foptimize-sibling-calls
-fpeephole2
-fregmove
-freorder-blocks -freorder-functions
-frerun-cse-after-loop
-fsched-interblock -fsched-spec
-fschedule-insns -fschedule-insns2
-fstrict-aliasing -fstrict-overflow
-ftree-pre
-ftree-vrp