CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER — CMake 4.3.2 Documentation

# CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER

Added in version 3.10: `CMAKE_CUDA_HOST_COMPILER`

Added in version 3.28: `CMAKE_HIP_HOST_COMPILER`

This variable is available when `<LANG>` is `CUDA` or `HIP`.

When `CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID` is `NVIDIA`, `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` selects the compiler executable to use when compiling host code for `CUDA` or `HIP` language files. This maps to the `nvcc -ccbin` option.

The `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` variable may be set explicitly before CUDA or HIP is first enabled by a `project()` or `enable_language()` command. This can be done via `-DCMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER=...` on the command line or in a toolchain file. Or, one may set the `CUDAHOSTCXX` or `HIPHOSTCXX` environment variable to provide a default value.

Once the CUDA or HIP language is enabled, the `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` variable is read-only and changes to it are undefined behavior.

Note

Since `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` is meaningful only when the `CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_ID` is `NVIDIA`, it does not make sense to set `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` without also setting `CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER` to NVCC.

Note

Projects should not try to set `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER` to match `CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER` themselves. It is the end-user's responsibility, not the project's, to ensure that NVCC targets the same ABI as the C++ compiler.

Note

Ignored when using Visual Studio Generators.

See the `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_ID` and `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER_VERSION` variables for information about the host compiler used by `nvcc`, whether by default or specified by `CMAKE_<LANG>_HOST_COMPILER`.