--arch should default to host arch

[sindresorhus]

Good defaults again. Less config.

[junosuarez]

It's not clear to me that this is the best default. It's not the broadest compatibility-speaking. If you're building for your own machine, then it should default to whatever your current arch is (granted, in 2015, it's likely x64, but I digress). If you're running electron-packager to cross-build for a different target arch, then it could be anything that electron supports.

[max-mapper]

if any thing we should default to `require('os').arch`, but even there it's a little confusing UX wise

[sindresorhus]

I think defaulting to the system arch would be weird as we're talking about packaging the app, not running. You'd want it to be predictable between computers.

I just want less config. And having x64 as default means I wouldn't have to spell it out on my OS X and Linux targets.

[max-mapper]

there are a good percentage of 32 bit linux users still, so im on the fence
about this, seems like it could make it more confusing for linux 32/
windows users

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 3:38 PM, Sindre Sorhus [email protected]
wrote:

I think defaulting to the system arch would be weird as we're talking
about packaging the app, not running. You'd want it to be predictable
between computers.

I just want less config. And having x64 as default means I wouldn't have
to spell it out on my OS X and Linux targets.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#36 (comment)
.

[sindresorhus]

I don't see what's confusing. It's just about a documented default. If you want to compile for 32bit too you just then add the --arch option.

[max-mapper]

@sindresorhus its just that adding a mac/linux centric default for no good reason just feels weird to me personally, i'd rather fix your problem of not wanting to have to specify complex config with other options like #40

[zeke]

It seems like the best option is use a default that will work for all users. It looks like the --all option shipped in #40 may have allayed some of the config frustration. @sindresorhus are you cool with closing this?

[sindresorhus]

Still makes sense. Not everyone can use the --all option and without, electron-packager requires a lot of config that could have good defaults. But I switched to electron-builder, so I don't really care anymore.

[malept]

I would rather default to whatever the arch is of the host (which, admittedly, is likely to be x64).

[malept]

Defaulting to the host arch has the added benefit of less config when your Electron app requires native modules.