cc vs gcc

[Peter Eisentraut <petere@debian.org>]

There is a bit of discussion in bug #487546 about whether using cc or gcc as 
the compiler is appropriate.

Particular questions:

* Are Debian packages supposed to be built by default using /usr/bin/gcc (or 
whatever gcc is first in the path)?  Or is it valid to use cc?

* What interface is the "cc" alternative offering?  Is it a GCC-compatible 
compiler, or a POSIX/SUS-compatible compiler?

Currently, packages using cdbs will usually end up using CC=cc as their 
compiler, which is typically gcc, but doesn't have to.  The submitter of the 
bug isn't really telling what exactly he is doing, but I guess it's 
conceivable to have another compiler than gcc in use, at least unless there is 
a ruling to the contrary on the above questions.

Comments?